


A New Purpose

by madeleine334



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Fire Emblem: Three Houses Blue Lions Route, Fire Emblem: Three Houses Blue Lions Route Spoilers, Garreg Mach Monastery (Fire Emblem), Gen, Implied/Referenced Character Death, M/M, Male My Unit | Byleth, Minor Original Character(s), Minor/Background Relationships - Freeform, One-Sided Attraction, Post-War, breaking up, slight jealousy, tea & coffee
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-04
Updated: 2020-12-01
Packaged: 2021-03-07 22:01:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 26,125
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26814793
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/madeleine334/pseuds/madeleine334
Summary: He should have died alongside her, but Hubert was allowed to live instead. Edelgard's letter to him asked him to follow Dimitri, to trust that he would usher Fódlan into a new and better future. If that is what she wishes, so he shall.
Relationships: Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd/Hubert von Vestra, Ferdinand von Aegir/Hubert von Vestra (Former)
Comments: 9
Kudos: 57





	1. Chapter 1

There was pain, yes, mostly pain. There was a dampness, as well, but mostly pain. It wasn’t just a physical pain, but a pain in his chest. His heart hurt and he knew he had failed. 

“He’s stable,” he heard a voice say. It was a distant voice and they felt so far away, but he felt the hands on his body. They were searching him, searching for something. Perhaps they were simply trying to find the hidden weapons that was on his person. Of course they had the right to suspect him of concealing something that would seal their doom at any other time. Oh well, he would be dead anyway. He had failed and that meant Her Majesty was fighting alone. He was captured by the enemy, surely, and they would kill him.

“What can we do to restrain his magic?” he head another distant voice ask. His head hurt, damn, it hurt. 

He tried to roll away from the prodding hands and the voices.

“He’s awake,” he heard the first voice say.

“His magic,” another voice raised concern.

“He doesn’t have the stamina for it,” the first voice said. “He is practically harmless in this moment.”

“Hubert von Vestra and harmless are not words I would associate together,” the second voice replied.

He tried to open his eyes, but the lights were too bright and his head _hurt._

“Don’t push yourself,” the third voice said to him and he felt a weight on his chest. Perhaps a hand keeping him down, as if he even had the energy to sit up.

“He won’t be able to move much longer,” the first voice said suddenly and things began to get foggy.

“Ah, the medicine should be taking affect,” the second voice stated.

“Yes, as I said it would. First you have me knock him out, carry him, and now do this. I really don’t understand why you even want him alive,” the first voice said and suddenly Hubert knew that it was Linhardt. He was the last person Hubert had seen, he was the last one he had been fighting. His magic was at its limit and Linhardt had appeared out of nowhere as Hubert attempted to flee. The green haired scholar had gotten a good hit in when it mattered and apparently it was enough to knock Hubert out, but not to kill him. Why didn’t they kill him?

“The Professor said that we needed him alive,” the second voice told him.

“Of course,” Linhardt’s voice said. It was getting harder to hear. “I suppose there is no more reason than that,” he continued, as sarcastic as Hubert remembered him and it hurt just a bit. If Linhardt was there, then perhaps they all were there. They had all left them once the war had truly begun, even the one that promised to be with him until the end. 

That hand on his chest that kept him down. “Fer...di...nan...d,” he breathed out.

He heard shuffling before he was truly gone. A voice was by his side, but he couldn’t really hear it, couldn’t hear anything anymore. Just the vibrations from the voice.

*** 

The second time he was brought back into awareness was different than the first. He was able to open his eyes for starters.

Rope bound him to the bed he lay in. He was in the infirmary and he wasn’t alone.

“Lin,” he barely got out, unable to finish the man’s name. His mouth was so dry.

“It’s me, Hubert,” he man greeted in his usual bored and sarcastic tone, sitting at the foot of his bed.

Hubert looked around for a pitcher of water, for anything really that would give his throat some much needed hydration.

“Did you want some water?” he asked, his eyes dull. He looked tired, like he hadn’t gotten the sleep he so adored in days.

Hubert nodded his head yes.

Linhardt responded by standing up and moving over to another part of the infirmary. Hubert thought he was leaving him before returning with a glass of clear liquid which Hubert hoped was water. “Don’t worry,” he told him before bringing the glass to his lips, “it’s not poisoned.”

Hubert would have chuckled at that if he wasn’t so damn thirsty.

“I suppose even if it were, you would not care,” he the said. “Edelgard is dead, Hubert.”

Hubert doesn’t remember much after that, just a lot of pain before nothing.

*** 

The third time Hubert awoke, he was not in a bed, he was on the floor of a cell. There was a pitcher of water with a dirty glass on the small table within the cell. He was still thirsty. He reached for it, not caring if there was some dirt mixed in.

“I see you have woken, Hubert,” he heard a voice say. He turned to the source, greeted to one blue eye. 

“Dimitri,” he tried to say, but it barely came out. His voice seemed to have been in disuse for a while now.

“It’s been nearly a week since we captured you,” Dimitri answered the unasked question. 

Hubert poured some water in the cup and drank it, coughing a bit from the sudden rush down his sensitive throat. When he managed to calm himself, he faced his enemy and captor. “Was it you?” he asked. He knew Dimitri would know what he meant. He...needed to know.

“Yes,” he said, “I was the one to finish her.” His voice was even and unshaken, but there was no emotion behind it. 

Hubert had lost his purpose.

“I need to explain some things to you,” Dimitri began before he was cut off.

“Why keep me alive?” Huber then asked, looking at Dimitri with what he wished was disdain, but he knew he was just broken. 

The blond seemed a bit shocked to be cut off by the other, but he quickly regained his composure. Instead of answering, he stepped closer to the cell and pulled out a letter, handing it through the bars and towards Hubert. “I need you to read this,” he told him.

_No._

_No, no, no, NO._

The seal was her seal and the handwriting was her handwriting. He read her words and he didn’t want to believe them. The experiments she conducted in secret, even without his knowledge. The pain she described. He would have bore that pain for her, _he would have died for her if she wished it. ___

___Hubert, I do not wish for you to fight for Them anymore. What I will do in the end will be unspeakable. I will no longer be myself. I will no longer be the Edelgard you know. If you are reading this letter, then Dimitri has won this part of our bloody war and has held up his end of our deal. Follow him, Hubert. He will bring this country to peace where I could not. Stop Those Who Slither In The Dark. Trust Dimitri._ _ _

__He read and reread the last few lines over and over again, searching for the hidden meaning that must be there. Surely this was not planned. Surely Edelgard did not die for the sake of _Them.__ _

__“In her final moments, she had become Edelgard again,” Dimitri told him. “During that final battle, she was unrecognizable, but in her final moments, she was our El.”_ _

__Hubert had seen the man many times during their school days and during the war. He had never seen the man look so...remorseful._ _

__“Tell me about her,” Hubert asked. His voice sounded so small, even to him. He almost didn’t realize it came out of his mouth._ _

__“She had changed, Hubert,” Dimitri told him. “She was winged, her eyes as black as a void. She let out horrible noises and cut down man as if they were butter. She was no longer a human. When we finally downed her and her body reverted to that of a human, I could see it in her eyes that this was the end. She moved to stab the Professor,” he then said. “It was instinct,” he told Hubert, but couldn’t seem to continue. It was all Hubert needed to know._ _

__“Edelgard asked me to trust you,” Hubert told him._ _

__“I do not expect,” Dimitri began before being cut off._ _

__“We now fight against a common enemy,” Hubert interrupted him. “I’ll tell you all I know.” He did. He told Dimitri all he knew about Those Who Slither In The Dark. He told him about their experiments on Her Majesty and on Lysithea von Ordelia. He told him about the Church and the truth behind Rhea, whom was kept in Enbarr. Admits that he had read through Byleth’s father’s journal on occasion before the man’s death, discovering that Jeralt had suspected Rhea of human experimentation as well. He told him everything there was to tell and it was exhausting. He felt dizzy, he felt cold, and he was hungry. He had to lean against the cold stone wall for support while telling him about it._ _

__“That’s...wow,” Dimirti was near speechless._ _

__“Perhaps you need some time to decide how to proceed with this information,” Hubert suggested._ _

__“Yes,” Dimitri agreed, “and perhaps you should get some more rest.”_ _

__“How very astute of you,” Hubert sighed, trying to get as comfortable as he could considering he was starting to feel nauseous._ _

__“I will fetch something for you to eat,” Dimitri told him, leaving very quickly._ _

__Hubert knew he was just trying to get out as fast as he could. Probably to let himself mull over all the information Hubert unceremoniously dumped on him. Perhaps it was just to get Hubert out of his sight, after all, he was the right hand man of the woman he just impaled with his spear, as well as an enemy. When Dimitri did return with food, however, Hubert was extremely shocked and found himself salivating at the scent of cooked meat._ _

__“I am honestly surprised you returned,” Hubert told him, hoping the food was something light._ _

__Dimitri had slid the tray through the little opening under the door. “And why is that?”_ _

__“I am your enemy, I have just revealed to you many secrets regarding some of your allies, secrets that even you can agree are detestable. I am also Edelgard’s retainer, surely you must despise me.”_ _

__“All of that holds no bearing when it comes to making sure a guest of the Kingdom, be is an Imperial captain or otherwise, requires food,” Dimitri replied. “Make sure to eat all of it. Dedue prepared it for you. He told me that it has many vitamins needed for you to regain your strength.”_ _

__“Strength?” Hubert asked. “I assumed you would be wanting to keep me as malnourished as possible. Once healthy again, I could murder you outright.”_ _

__“And go against Edelgard’s wishes?” Dimitri asked. “I believe we both know that will not happen.”_ _

__“Very cocky, aren’t you,” Hubert found himself smiling, as well as finally digging into his plate, no longer able to resist the alluring scent._ _

__Dimitri smiled at the sight of him obviously enjoying Dedue’s meal. “When you are prepared to talk more, I will return,” he told the mage before leaving._ _

__Hubert watched him go, but thought nothing much of his departure, too focused on the food in front of him.__

__***_ _

_  
_It was only a matter of time until Ferdinand made an appearance. Hubert knew it would happen eventually, but that didn’t make him any more prepared for it._   
_  


__Hubert stayed silent when Ferdinand stared through the bars of the sell. Ferdinand was also silent, which began to irk Hubert. “Are you not going to say anything or have you not thought that far ahead?”_ _

__Ferdinand frowned at that. “Her vision,” he began, “I could not accept the world she wished for. I don’t mean what she intended on regarding the nobility and crests. That, I believe should be changed. Things are far too uneven amongst the ruling and commoner class. People with crests are treated better than those without. Siding with Dimitri, I have gotten to know many who are affected by it. Ingrid is a prized child in her family, urged to marry into a richer house because of her crest in order to save her family from financial ruin, regardless of her wishes. Sylvain, hated by his older brother and favored by his parents because of his crest. His fear of commitment stems from his fear of marriage for his crest, that his crest is what is loved, not himself. Marianne, she is feared for her crest and is blamed for what people believe is connected to her because of it.”_ _

__Hubert knew he could go on and on about this, but he had to stop him. “And despite all of this, you decided to side with the ones who have no intentions of changing the ways you so hate.”_ _

__“That’s not true,” Ferdinand adamantly replied, “King Dimitri plans on reforming these practices and traditions without the bloodshed that Edelgard imposed. There are other ways to reform, Hubert, I really wish she could have seen that. Maybe she would still be here, maybe...”_ _

__“Stop,” Hubert said suddenly. The pain in his chest ached so much. “Stop talking about her,” he pleaded._ _

__“Of course,” Ferdinand said quietly, realizing his mistake. Of course Hubert would still be grieving. The Emperor had only been dead for a few days, with Hubert only just discovering this. Of course he would need time to grieve, to mourn. Those wounds were fresher than any of his battle wounds were. “I’m sorry.”_ _

__They sat in silence while Hubert tried to convince himself that the pain wasn’t there._ _

__The minutes passed by and Hubert had no idea why Ferdinand was still there. What did he hope to achieve by coming here to the Kingdom prisoner. To taunt him? To remind him of all that he had lost?_ _

__After about an hour of silence, Ferdinand spoke once again. “I still love you, Hubert,” he admitted. “I know you may never be able to forgive me for what I did, what we all did, but I want you to know that I never stopped loving you.”_ _

__“Foolish,” Hubert said, cutting through Ferdinand with his words, “You and I may have been together, but do not think that I wouldn’t have shot you down with my magic had we encountered each other on the battle field. What you and I had is over.”_ _

__Ferdinand shocked him once again with his small and sad smile. “I knew you’d say something like that and I don’t doubt what you said for a moment. If we were to face each other on the field, it would be a fight to the death.”_ _

__“Why are you here, Ferdinand?” he asked._ _

__“Isn’t it obvious?” the caviler asked, “I wanted to see how you’re doing.”_ _

__“As you can see, I still have two arms and two legs,” Hubert replied in his dry sarcasm._ _

__“That’s not quite what I meant,” Ferdinand frowned. “I wanted to know how you are doing knowing that Edelgard is, well,” he trailed off._ _

__“Dead,” Hubert finished for him._ _

__“Yeah,” he looked at Hubert with pity and Hubert hated it._ _

__“I’m sure your new king will be more than grateful that you came to check up on the prisoner,” Hubert told him with a tight lip. “Make sure I’m drinking water and eating enough food to not starve.”_ _

__“Did you need more food?” Ferdinand asked like a sad puppy, begging for approval._ _

__“No,” Hubert frowned._ _

__“Then what do you need?”_ _

__“I need you to leave,” Hubert said. The sight of him was still too painful. Too much of a reminder of what he lost and what was taken from him._ _

__Ferdinand did not move, however. “There was something else I came to say,” he admitted._ _

__Hubert looked at him carefully._ _

__“When we were still at the academy, was any of it real?”_ _

__Flashes of their time together flicked through Hubert’s memory. Arguing over meals and being forced to learn from Ferdinand on how to ride a horse into battle. He recalled the time when Hubert spied Ferdinand in the market with a merchant that Hubert often frequented for his coffee supply, only to be gifted with his favorite later that evening with an invitation to partake in a drink with the ginger haired man. Hubert was in the market himself, off to purchase that irritable noble his own favorite blend of tea leaves. He remembered a few weeks later when they had their first kiss under the stars as they watched the meteor shower from the bridge. Their relationship only grew from there and Hubert without a doubt knew it was all real for him and he would bet that it was real for Ferdinand, as well. The memory of Ferdinand holding him, telling him he loved Hubert, would never leave Hubert’s memory and he was well aware of that. Hubert kissing Ferdinand after, telling him he felt the same. It was once so easy to imagine their future together._ _

__“What happened in the academy between you and I was a mistake,” Hubert told him with a frown, “but, I was not lying when I told you how I felt.” He did not wish to sully their memories, especially of the one he once loved so passionately. Ferdinand abandoning their cause was one of the hardest parts of the war._ _

__“I see,” Ferdinand said, a hint of a smile gracing his lips._ _

__“If that is all, then go now,” Hubert demanded._ _

__“I never stopped loving you, Hubert,” Ferdinand told him before he left, a last parting slap across the face with his words. For Hubert, it made it all the worse. He had stopped loving Ferdinand and knew that he could easily fall back in, however, he didn’t want that...the pain was too much for him to bear._ _

__Hubert lay back down on his cell bedding, wishing for the bed he was allotted in the infirmary._ _


	2. Chapter 2

Ferdinand visited Hubert a few more times in that cell, always bringing him food and water, as well as stories to tell him about how the others were doing. Hubert would tell Ferdinand he didn’t care about the former Black Eagles traitors, but they both knew it was a lie. There always seemed to be something on the tip of his tongue that he wished to tell Hubert, although Hubert had no idea what it could be, especially since Ferdinand had already confessed he was still in love with Hubert. It was a love that Hubert could not share. The mage listened to him draw on about Dorothea’s newest opera in preproduction, about Caspar’s plans to travel across the world once things have settled, and of Bernadetta’s newest plant garden that was beginning to take over parts of the greenhouse, much to Ashe and Dedue’s disappointment. 

“And what of you?” Hubert finally asked.

“Me? Oh, well I suppose I will rebuild House Aegir,” he admitted.

“I see,” Hubert replied, “and the good king has permitted this?”

“King Dimitri understands that nobility is important when it comes to governing land and he has placed his trust in me to do so as a fair noble.”

“He placed his trust in the right person, then,” Hubert told him.

“Was that a compliment?” Ferdinand asked with a grin.

“Only an observation,” Hubert corrected, “don’t let it get to your head.”

“Of course,” Ferdinand replied, still smiling as he watched Hubert drink more of his water.

“Where is the king?” Hubert then asked. He had not been visited by the man since he brought him food and there has been no word regarding the information he had given him.

“He has been planning a route and battle strategy to storm Shambhala with the Professor,” Ferdinand told him, “Based on the information you gave him.”

Ah, so Dimitri was taking this seriously, which meant he believed him. The thought made Hubert feel a bit warm in the cold cell.

“I will be going with them,” Ferdinand then told him. 

“You what?” Hubert asked, almost not believing his own ears.

“To fight,” Ferdinand continued, a sad smile was on his face. “I want to get revenge on those who hurt you and Edelgard,” he told him, “who hurt Lysithea, too. Even if we fought on different sides, Edelgard was still my house leader and was still my friend.”

Hubert didn’t dare look away from Ferdinand.

“Did she tell you what she had done?” he asked. “For the final battle?”

Hubert shook his head no. He had not known anything of the sort until Dimitri told him.

“She was not herself,” Ferdinand said.

“The king informed me,” Hubert said, almost robotic. He wished not to speak of this any further.

“Yes, I am sure he told you all he needed to,” Ferdinand looked a bit sad at the memory of Edelgard. “They did that to her,” he then said. “I’m going to make them pay.”

“When do you leave?” he asked.

“In two days,” Ferdinand said, “if all things go to plan.”

“You need to prepare.”

“And what of you?” he asked.

“I’m not going anywhere,” Hubert told him, or perhaps it was a promise.

Ferdinand nodded before turning to leave.

“Ferdinand,” Hubert stopped him. His heart was pounding. “I wanted to thank you,” he began, “for coming to check on me.”

“Of course, Hubert,” Ferdinand replied softly.

“I also want to let you know that I haven’t forgiven you, at least not yet...I just can’t yet,” he admitted.

Ferdinand nodded slowly. “I understand,” he said before turning to leave.

*** 

Hubert was unaware that a whole two weeks would pass before he saw Ferdinand again.

In that time, the one bringing him his meals was a young guard that Hubert didn’t bother learning the name of. She had been wearing the colors of the Kingdom and had informed him that she would be guarding him until they returned. He didn’t bother asking what would happen if they failed.

There was a day where the whole structure of the building began to shake. Hubert heard screams from the people outside. His guard had ran to him, unlocking the cell before grabbing him to flee, telling him that the whole building could come down at any moment.

Hubert could feel the magic in his bones. A wall threatened to fall on top of them. Hubert grabbed the guard and Warpped them to the courtyard before he could hesitate. It took nearly all he had and he fell to his knees. Strange lights filled the sky, but the guard pulled them away before he could really inspect them.

“We are getting out of here,” she told him.

They had went from one collapsing building to another threatening to do the same as the guard brought Hubert to the cathedral. There were people huddled everywhere, some praying and some just crying. He was unable to do anything to fight off Those Who Slither In The Dark. The building never came down, but there was a horrible cry from some sort of beast outside. He suspected it to be the beast disguised as the Archbishop, the Immaculate One, as they called her. 

The people left the building upon the second hour of silence.

When the king’s army returned, it had been three days since the attack on the monastery. Beaten and battered, but he had not seen Ferdinand.

“Linhardt is seeing to him,” his former Professor told him. Hubert’s eyes widened when a hand cradled his face. “He is going to be okay,” the Professor said, a small smile painting his lips with reassurance.

Hubert merely nodded before the man turned to leave. His hair and eyes was no longer that eerie teal he had since he entered the void. “Your hair,” Hubert pointed out.

The Professor’s eyes widened a bit, as well, and he reached up to touch it. “Is it that different?” he asked.

“It has returned to its former blue,” Hubert replied.

The Professor smiled. “I suppose it has.”

His smile, as rare as it had become, was quite beautiful, Hubert realized. 

“I must go now,” his former teacher said. “I’m sure you will want to see Ferdinand once he is awake.” Hubert wasn’t sure if he wanted to, actually, and Byleth seemed to sense it. “Or perhaps we can talk,” he suggested instead.

“I thought you needed to be somewhere,” Hubert brought up.

“Yuri can wait a bit longer,” he said.

Hubert nodded, “Then I shall make this quick for him.”

They went to Hubert’s old room, which was musty and covered in dust.

“I shall make sure this gets cleaned,” the Professor stated once they had closed the door. “What is it that causes you to frown at the thought of Ferdinand?” he asked, getting straight to the point.

As much as Hubert should not trust his former Professor, he knew that the man was not as deceiving as he once thought. In fact, the man was quite honest and kept secrets only for the sake of his former students and only if they asked him to. “I suppose my weariness regarding Ferdinand is that going to give him the wrong idea,” the dark mage informed. “He has made it clear that he is still,” Hubert hesitated, “interested in me, as we once were together, but I cannot return to that life,” he told the man.

The Professor nodded in understanding. “Ferdinand still loves you, but you do not any longer,” he concluded.

“That is right, Professor,” Hubert said.

“Byleth,” the man corrected.

“Byleth,” Hubert parroted.

“My name,” the Professor, Byleth, said.

“Of course, Byleth,” Hubert said the name again. It felt alien on his tongue. “Forgive me if I let your old title slip in the future,” he then told him. “But, yes, I no longer feel that way for Ferdinand.”

“Is it because he did not side with you and Edelgard?” Byleth asked.

“Perhaps that is the crux of it,” Hubert sighed. “However, I know I could easily fall for him once again. That is something I do not wish to allow.”

“Why is that?”

“Because I have not been able to forgive him,” Hubert replied. “I am not sure if I will be able to.”

“Have you told Ferdinand this?”

“Not in so many words,” Hubert replied, “but, he understands.”

Byleth nodded. “We cannot control our hearts so easily, Hubert, but I am sure you will manage. Those Who Slither In The Dark are gone and Edelgard can finally rest in peace.”

“You’re right,” he agreed. “I’m sure she will find whatever peace one finds when we die.”

Byleth nodded, although he seemed to be unsure with the whole statement.

Hubert chose to ignore that. “Thank you for speaking to me, Byleth,” Hubert said, making sure to use the man’s name. “What will they do with me now?”

“Dimitri has expressed his wishes of talking to you about that,” Byleth told him.

“I suppose it makes sense,” Hubert felt certain that he was to be executed or at least imprisoned for the rest of his days.

Byleth almost chuckled. “He does not wish for you to be dead, Hubert,” the man said.

Hubert felt a bit relieved and almost frightened of the unknown.

*** 

His Professor, Byleth, ended up escorting him. He may have been treated fairly by everyone he had encountered or been reunited with so far, but Hubert was still their enemy and he was about to get a cruel reminder.

Ingrid was the first to greet him after Byleth brought him into the room. She said her hellos by holding her lance, Lúin, at his throat. Then there was Sylvain, the Gautier heir that had a perchance for reason and dark magic, wielding a fireball just in case the spear wasn’t enough of a threat. The pulsating and disturbing Lance of Ruin at his side. Hubert found an odd sense of disgust upon looking at the weapon. Despite it aiding them greatly in battle, Hubert was never fond of Aymr. The weapon of His Lady’s choice, a Crest Stone weapon that would not be enough to save her. It pulsated and glowed with an unnatural aura around it, deterring him from its presence quickly. It was too similar to what they were fighting against, in his opinion.

“Watch your step,” Ingrid told him.

“We’ll stop you if you try anything,” Sylvain warned.

“A broken man with nothing to live for, I wonder what sorts of things I could get up to,” Hubert responded, almost serious, but he couldn’t bring himself to mean it. He had already told them everything and they had done what he couldn’t do for Her Majesty. If anything, he should be thanking them. But, he won’t. “Do not worry your pretty heads over me,” Hubert told them.

“As if you were just some harmless attendant,” Ingrid sneered.

“Ingrid! Sylvain! Enough,” the king ordered.

Hubert looked over to him for the first time since they walked into the room. Byleth was already at his side, speaking to him softly. Over to the side was his cell guard, standing stiff and alert. Dedue, the man from Duscar, nowhere to be seen.

“Have you called me to discuss my eternal imprisonment?” Hubert asked. “If that is the case, I’d rather just be executed now.” He’d rather not waste away behind some iron cell door, cold with never enough food or water to satisfy him, only enough to survive.

“Execute?” Dimitri asked, “Nonsense. I do not plan on having you imprisoned in such a way, either.”

“Huh?” Ingrid and Sylvain asked in tandem, looking over to their king.

“You will be monitored, but you will have a moderate amount of freedom to do as you wish,” Dimitri announced.

Byleth looked to the king with a kind face, almost looking pleased with Dimitri’s decision.

Hubert, however, could not have looked more confused.

“We can discuss the terms at more length,” Dimitri then said. “Until then, you will be escorted to your own room. There will be a guard at all times.”

Hubert nodded and the guard from his cell stepped up and began making their way towards Hubert. “Come along,” she said. It was not harsh, nor did she shove him forward. She was almost cordial with him. Almost. She led him past the gates of their meeting room, and towards the dorms. He walked up the familiar hall and saw he was to be placed in his old room. He opened it, surprised to find it had been cleaned from the time he had left with Byleth to now. That man must have already known and had it cleaned when they had left. Hubert must already be rusty if he had not noticed someone listening in. “You will stay here until the king is able to come see you. After that, he will decide how much freedom you will be granted.”

“And you are to be my guard at all times?” He asked. “No offence to you, but I don’t think many would be able to cut it. What if I happen to leave in the middle of the night? I have developed insomnia from the war. I’ll be up much longer than you.” In truth, he had suffered from insomnia before the war. Ferdinand was aware of this and made it his personal mission to try to lessen its severity. This was all before the defection, of course.

“No, I will be assisted by a few more guards for that very reason. Your main guard will be here in a matter of days,” she informed. “He is resting at the moment.”

“Ah,” Hubert should have known. Of course the oaf would arrange this. It would make things more difficult for Hubert, but the man had already resigned himself from his purpose. He could not unite all of Fódlan without her, nor did he want to try. It was never his dream, only hers. His dream was for her to achieve her rightful place, him at her side. He had cut a bloody path for her and he held no regrets for it.

His guard left him to get comfortable, or at least to reacquaint himself with his old dorm. There was nothing inside of the drawers, no books lining the shelves. He had no clothes other than what he wore. His bed was made and there was a desk with a chair, just as there had been five years ago. He checked the walls and under the bed. There were sigils that lay hiding. Of course, he would be a fool to think that the king and his army trusted him blindly from his confession and the knowledge it brought them. There was no way for him to escape except through his front door, not that he was exactly planning on escaping any time soon.

He decided to simply do as he was intended to: sit and wait. The bed was a bit stiff, but comfortable nonetheless. Anything was better than the floor he had been using. After the walls around his cell had come down, he had been put in a separate building with a few barred doors. The cells in there had been much smaller, almost like they were intended to make the prisoner feel cramped on purpose, or perhaps to place small children in.

He thought about what Edelgard would think of him right now. Her letter told him that she wished for him to live, to follow Dimitri on his path. He thought about her dagger, the one she kept at all times. She told him it was from someone special, only later to discover it was from Dimitri from when they were children. He supposed this final battle was too hard on her to face him, turning into a beast was avoiding the problem to a degree. Killing someone you love, he had not done that yet, for he had only loved two: Edelgard and Ferdinand. One was killed by the hands of her own stepbrother, while the other was still alive. Having his father killed was an easy thing, he had merely ordered it and it was done. He held no love for the man and not much respect, either.

Edelgard had come into his life suddenly, changing it. Her death happened without his knowing, changing it once again. She asked for him to follow Dimitri, so he would. It was her wish and he would fulfill it. It would be his new purpose.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not very good at drawing things out. I'm sure Hubert would be much more hesitant and spiteful than simply accepting his fate as he does. Ugh. I wrote this all in one lump sum and had issues during rewriting with this. OOC for sure...sorry.


	3. Chapter 3

Hubert had not realized he had fallen asleep until there was a knocking at the door. He sat up just in time to see Dimitri open the door, his one blue eye greeting him. “Sorry to have kept you waiting,” the man said, looking all the bit apologetic as he implied. Even war could not change Dimitri’s humble and apologetic demeanor and attitude.

“I was merely resting,” he admitted, “In fact, you may have done me a favor.”

This seemed to brighten Dimitri’s face a bit. He was still quite handsome under the greasy hair and war torn face. His eye, still as beautiful as the two once were in their school days. The eye patch perhaps made him a bit more handsome in a dangerous way. Even Hubert was not immune to the King of Fearghus’ charms and appearance. “I hope these accommodations are acceptable for you,” he gestured to the room.

“Far more agreeable than a dirty cell,” Hubert admitted, looking over at his room.

“What are your plans, Hubert?” Dimitri then asked.

Hubert looked at the man once again, almost hesitant to say, “Lady Edelgard wishes for me to serve you and your cause. I will do just that.”

“And you are sure?” Dimitri asked. “Do you know what it means if you were to betray me?”

“It means I will join Her Majesty in the ground,” Hubert said.

“Are you eager to do that?”

“Not quite,” he admitted. “She wishes for me to live, therefore I will live serving you. If you truly do intend to create peace amongst Fódlan, than I shall assist you in any way I can.”

“You swear it?” Dimitri’s one eye never left his.

“I do,” he said and Dimitri took his hand, a strong grip squeezing, but making sure to not crush him. 

“I am glad,” he said then. “I’m sure you already know, but Ferdinand has asked to be your guard during your time at the monastery. Once we leave to Fhirdiad, that will change. He will leave to rebuild his family house and you will receive a new guard.”

“And he is aware of this?” Hubert asked.

“Perhaps not all of it,” Dimitri admitted.

“Byleth suggested it,” Hubert then said, making the connection as to why Dimitri would bring this up.

“Yes,” Dimitri then said. 

“How much did he tell you?” Hubert asked, upset that his secrets could have been made mere gossip in a matter of hours.

“Just that you were not completely over Ferdinand and the other former Black Eagles leaving you and Edelgard,” Dimirti said quickly. He hesitated, “But, I drew my own conclusions when he mentioned Ferdinand by name.”

Hubert couldn’t me mad at his former Professor when the man really had only been trying to help him. “It’s fine,” he then said, “just don’t mention it to anyone.”

“Of course not,” Dimitri swore.

Hubert could see in that bright blue eye that the king wanted to ask more, but thankfully refrained. He was not ready to air his dirty laundry in front of yet another person today. “What will my duties be while I am here?” He asked.

“At the moment, quite frankly, I can’t trust you,” Dimitri admitted, “so you will be under the watchful eye of the guards for now.”

“Understandable,” Hubert said.

“However,” Dimitri cut in, “I do wish to have your input regarding Edelgard’s funeral rites. We have preserved her body with magic.”

Hubert’s chest ached once again. He had thought that she had been buried already, or even burned.

“It is only right that you be a part of this,” Dimitri concluded.

Hubert nodded, not allowing himself to shed a tear.

*** 

It had been beautiful. Her body in a casket fit for the Emperor, adorn in white lilies and red carnations. Her banner was draped across and inside she wore her battle attire. Aymr was buried in the tomb with her. Dimitri promised Hubert that her body would be moved later on when they had secured the land. The Holy Kingdom of Fearghus had already absorbed the Leicester Alliance thanks to Claude’s involvement, the Adrestian Empire was next.

While Hubert had not wholly agreed to her being laid to rest in the Church’s tombs, he had understood and would hold Dimitri to his word when the time came to move her.

“She would have hated this,” Dimitri told him once they placed her in the tomb.

“Absolutely detest,” Hubert agreed, his voice a bit heavy. “I appreciate that you have allowed me involvement in this.”

“It is only right,” he then said. “Ferdinand was released from Manuela and Linhardt’s charge today.”

Hubert could already feel the headache from the man coming on. “Has he now?” It was less of a question and more like a statement of ignorance he wished to posses. It had been two whole weeks since he had last seen Ferdinand. He wished it had been longer.

“If you require some time alone from him, you only need to request my presence,” Dimitri replied, a small smirk on his lips.

Hubert eyed him, not trusting the King of Fearghus even for a second, but trusting him even less with that look on his face. “I fail to understand,” he then said, taking a step back.

“I’m simply telling you that you and I can always meet up for a chat,” Dimitri told him, “I may not have known Ferdinand the longest, but I can tell the man can be a handful at times.”

“You’re telling me,” Hubert agreed, but he couldn’t help thinking of how happy he had been with the man at once. “He can have his moments,” Hubert then admitted, not sure why he was still defending the man that broke his heart.

Dimitri nodded, “I suppose he can,” he then smiled a bit. “He has been asking about you while in the infirmary,” he said. “He called out for you while he was still delirious from the poison used by the enemy. He told Linhardt what to use as the antidote based on his symptoms.”

Of course he had known. Hubert had made sure to drill as much knowledge on poison into Ferdinand’s head. He had claimed that there would soon be a test on it, but he knew that Ferdinand knew that it was just Hubert’s way of keeping an eye out on the man. That had been before they had discovered their mutual attraction to each other. “I am surprised he remembers,” was all he could think of to say. In truth, he was glad that the man remembered such things. Kept him alive.

“I assume he learned them from you?” Dimitri asked, already knowing the answer.

Hubert snickered, but refused to respond. 

“I’m surprised you and Claude never got along during our school days,” Dimitri then said.

“As if,” Hubert huffed, “The man may be skilled, even I can admit that, but his constant use of his home made tests on students was ill advised at best. Willingly poisoning your own men? Foolish.”

“It’s not like we knew we were on our way to war,” Dimitri frowned.

“A ruler, even a future one, should always be prepared.”

“As Edelgard had been,” Dimitri sighed. “She had planned on taking us out that night that we first met the Professor.”

“She had,” Hubert agreed.

“Did she,” Dimitri hesitated, “Never mind, let us leave this place at once. I have things to do.”

Hubert did not respond verbally, merely followed the king.

*** 

“Hubert,” Ferdinand greeted once Hubert was escorted back to his room. A large smile on that dimwit’s face was the first thing Hubert saw when he entered. Ferdinand was sitting upon Hubert’s bed, something that Hubert frowned upon even further than the frown he wore upon seeing those golden eyes. “Oh come now, you look unhappy to see me,” the man then said with his own frown. Hubert loath to admit it made him feel the tiniest bit guilty.

“Consider me shocked to find you in my bed,” he said dryly.

“Not so shocking considering we were lovers,” Ferdinand said with too straight of a face.

“Were being the key word, I believe,” Hubert replied. He simply ignored the hurt that spread across Ferdinand’s face. A part of himself felt it, regardless of him openly acknowledging it.

“I’m here to make sure you don’t stab us all in the back,” Ferdinand said more seriously. His eyes narrowed and he stood. He did not grow taller than Hubert, but he had certainly grown to be far more muscular than the dark mage. There was a point in time when Hubert would have dreamt of Ferdinand covering him with his finely tuned muscular body, arms holding him closely, legs straddling him like he were going into battle. Now, Hubert wanted nothing more than to push the man out of his room and out of his sight.

“I understand that trusting a snake is unwise,” Hubert replied, “but when all its venom has been extracted, the snake is merely a harmless reptile with little means of defense.”

“You are far from harmless,” Ferdinand argued back.

“Perhaps, but I have no reason to harm any one of you unless you give me a reason to. With this war most certainly lost for me, I have nothing else to live for,” Hubert replied a bit softly.

Ferdinand’s eyes softened and he moved closer to Hubert. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there for the burial,” he said.

“Don’t be,” Hubert nearly snarled back, “Why would you be there if not to celebrate the enemy’s long awaited end while the last of her supporters watch in his desolation?”

“Hubert,” Ferdinand tried.

“Leave my sight, Ferdinand,” Hubert ordered. 

The man nodded, leaving the room, but not walking off. He had a job to do, regardless of Hubert’s wishes.

If Ferdinand heard Hubert’s grief, he had the courtesy of saying nothing about it.

*** 

Dimitri came to his door the next day, Ferdinand was nowhere to be seen.

Hubert didn’t say anything about it, but he suspected that the man did not leave of his own volition. 

“I asked Ferdinand to leave us,” Dimitri confirmed upon witnessing Hubert silently search for the man’s presence. 

“And why did you do that?” Hubert asked a bit suspiciously.

“So he would not overhear my proposal,” Dimitri replied casually.

“Oh?”

“I intend on having you work with me as an advisor, that is as long as you prove to be an ally,” Dimitri replied.

“And what makes you think I suddenly would agree to this proposal?” Hubert asked. “I hold no allegiance to the Kingdom, I only hold allegiance to Edelgard.”

“And Edelgard wishes for you to side with us,” Dimitri pointed out.

Hubert was silent.

“Hubert, you are one of the most brilliant tacticians in the known world,” Dimitri continued. “Just imagine what you could achieve working along my side.”

“I have imagined what Her Majesty and I could achieve,” Hubert replied pointedly.

Dimitri seemed to realize his mistake at that moment.

Hubert’s expression was blank, emotionless, and it worried Dimitri.

“I misspoke,” Dimitri told the other man.

“Did you?” Hubert asked. “You seem to have meant what you said. You could be a very powerful king with a strong mind by your side. Her Majesty also did declare that I shall follow you in order to achieve the change and peace upon this land.” His eyes were cold and Hubert refused to admit that he was still hurting from her death.

“Your hand is shaking,” Dimitri told him.

Hubert stopped it by grabbing the shaken hand with his other.

“Grieving is a natural and healthy reaction to the death of a loved one,” Dimitri said, his eye had softened. 

“You are the one who killed her,” Hubert said, his voice even as he spoke. He had not forgotten.

“This is true.”

“Do you regret it?”

Dimitri paused.

“I know you and Her Majesty have a history together,” Hubert admitted. He needed to know.

“I did not realize you were aware of this,” Dimitri responded, surprised. “She had not ever given any inclination that she remembered our past together.”

“She spoke of it once,” Hubert told him. “It was before we had gone to the academy.”

Dimitri nodded, silently asking for more.

Hubert opened his mouth to continue before closing it. He had already indulged the man so much. What was giving him what he wanted? “She carried the dagger everywhere, always somewhere on her person at all times. I asked her why and she said it was a gift from her brother. I found myself perplexed. None of Edelgard’s siblings had left her gifts such as this. It was only later on that I discovered of your father’s marriage to her mother. It was not spoken about in the house. I found mention of it in a letter and the information seemed to snowball from there,” Hubert told him.

“I told her to cut her own path,” Dimitri spoke softly.

“A bloody one, she did,” Hubert told him, his voice just as soft.

“She did,” Dimitri agreed.

“There were times when I would find her looking at the dagger, times when she was unaware of my presence,” Hubert then said. “She once asked if this was the only way. I believed it to be, but she was still hesitant. Those Who Slither In The Dark would not be brought into the light without war, Fódlan could not be brought to peace without war, and there could be no peace without war.”

“I would have listened,” Dimitri tried.

“You were obsessed with revenge,” Hubert replied. 

Dimitri knew it to be the bitter truth. He saw what he had become and it was sickening. He still couldn’t believe the Professor saw him someone worth saving. “You are right,” he admitted. “It took the Professor to get me to see that.”

Hubert did not know what Dimitri was thinking, yet seemed to agree, but he didn’t say it with words. He didn’t have to. Dimitri knew.

“I’m surprised that our former professor has not required the use of his name from you,” Hubert said instead.

Dimitri chuckled. “He has, it is just far too strange, still.”

“After all this time?” Hubert asked. “And here I though you and the Professor were lovers of sorts.”

Dimitri did not chuckle at this. “I had loved him, still do, perhaps since our school days,” he admitted, “Yet, he did not love me in return.”

“I see,” Hubert responded, “I apologize.”

“I do not think I will ever stop loving him, though,” Dimitri continued, “Just like you shall never stop loving Ferdinand or even Edelgard.”

Hubert’s eyes widened a bit. “How do you manage?”

“I tell myself that it is for the best,” Dimitri told him. “Besides, he is happy with Yuri and I would never do anything that would intrude on that. I care far too much about Byleth to do anything to jeopardize his happiness.”

“Ferdinand does not intend on giving me up,” Hubert said. 

“Do you want him to?”

“Yes,” Hubert spoke without any hesitation. “I cannot bring myself to forgive what he had done. Regretfully, it seems that my love for him has far from faded,” Hubert admitted. “I don’t want this anymore.”

Dimitri nodded. “What do you intend to do?”

“I shall continue to push him away,” Hubert told him. 

“Do you believe it is for the best?”

“Perhaps, perhaps not,” He took a breath, looking at the king. “When the time comes, I shall follow you to Fearghus, as you have requested.”

“And what of Ferdinand?”

“You are the king,” Hubert told him, “You figure it out.”

Dimitri could have laughed if the tension in the room wasn’t so thick, perhaps that and the sense of vulnerability between the two men. Hubert had admitted more than his fair share of information to Dimitri, probably more than he had admitted to anyone, besides Edelgard and maybe Ferdinand. “I had never imagined a conversation between us to be like this,” Dimitri finally said.

“Perhaps a bit overdue,” Hubert said, and it surprised Dimitri. “Edelgard obviously had much to say to you. It is a pity that she was never able to.”

Oh. “Of course,” Dimitri realized. “There is so much I wished to have said to her.”

“I am sure,” Hubert agreed.

“Killing her was killing a part of myself,” Dimitri then said, “The remainder of my childhood. She was my sister, my first friend, and to end it all there was...” he trailed off. “The year we were together, it was the happiest I had ever been. I loved her, too, Hubert.”

Hubert found himself drawn to the man before, but now he knows that this man is his last remaining connection to Edelgard.


	4. Chapter 4

“Tea?” Ferdinand looked a bit put out. “You are inviting him to tea?”

“And why wouldn’t I?” Hubert asked. He was a bit annoyed, still, that Ferdinand was a constant in his day to day life. He just couldn’t get rid of him, the only one giving him a bit of relief was the king himself, and only when they needed to discuss matters of importance. At least, that is what they told Ferdinand. Dimitri admitted that he felt a bit guilty when he asked the cavalier to leave them be for the time, telling him that it was in regards to the remnants of Imperial rule, which it had been on occasion. More often than not, it was as simple as Dimitri wishing to get away from talks of reforming and just wanting to talk to Hubert about this and that. Usually they would talk about Edelgard, sometimes just about the future. It was inevitable, unavoidable, but Dimitri didn’t seem to mind it as much when Hubert was the one talking about the Kingdom’s rule over Fódlan.

“You hate tea,” Ferdinand pointed out with a pout. “When we used to share tea together, you would complain the entire time. When you finally started brewing coffee, that was when you started enjoying your time with me a bit more.”

Hubert knew what he was getting at. “You do understand that the king and I are discussing political matters, yes?”

“Are you?” Ferdinand asked, eyeing Hubert. “I go to the war room meetings and he has not brought up anything referring to you or your involvement in how Fódlan will be ruled.” 

“Perhaps we are still ironing some things out,” Hubert frowned.

“Perhaps you just don’t want me around,” Ferdinand crossed his arms. “I’m not stupid, Hubert.”

“I never said you where,” he replied. Ferdinand was somewhat naïve, sickeningly arrogant, and annoyingly kind, but never stupid.

“Then why don’t you just tell me?” He asked. “Just tell me that you don’t want me around, just tell me that you don’t care for me anymore.”

Hubert stood from his bed and stomped to Ferdinand quickly, cornering the man against the wall. 

“Hubert,” Ferdinand warned. His lance was in his hand and he knew he would have to take Hubert down if he needed to.

“What you want and what I want are no longer the same,” Hubert told him. “You still hold onto the fantasy that I will come back to you, that I will love you again, but I won’t do that, Ferdinand, and I have already told you this. We are no longer in the same position where that is possible, nor am I wishing to return to you in a romantic sense. We are done, Ferdinand.” Hubert stepped back and turned away, not wanting to see the pain in Ferdinand’s eyes. He didn’t want to see the tremble in his lip.

“I know,” he heard Ferdinand say, “I know and it hurts.” There was a hitch in his voice that was undeniable. Hubert had hurt Ferdinand, just as Ferdinand had hurt Hubert.

It didn’t make Hubert feel any better. “The king and I will have tea together to discuss certain matters regarding the remnants of Imperial strongholds out in areas of the former Empire. They are potentially planning a retaliation on some local Kingdom supporting villages, according to some of my spies.”

“You’re spies?” Ferdinand asked, the hitch no longer as noticeable.

“Just because I am under surveillance does not mean I have been cut off from communication,” Hubert turned to Ferdinand then.

Ferdinand seemed to have pulled himself together while Hubert had his back turned. “Why am I not surprised?” He rolled his eyes.

“Ferdinand, you of all people should know that, despite the circumstances, I will always be steps ahead of everyone else.”

“Yes, of course,” Ferdinand rolled his eyes again. “So tell me, what are you intending on serving Dimitri during your tea time with him?”

“Tea and pastries, of course,” Hubert replied.

“Do you know what he prefers?”

“Of course not,” Hubert begrudgingly admitted. “That is why you are going to tell me.”

Ferdinand chuckled. “Well, I can tell you that His Majesty is no stranger to sweets. Perhaps you could even say he has two favorites; one being saghert and cream, with the other being sweet bun trio. He also likes to eat onion gratin soup and sautéed jerky with the Professor.”

“Hm,” Hubert said, “what else?”

“Cheesy Verona stew and Gautier cheese gratin,” Ferdinand supplied, “although I’m sure he is too polite to tell you anything he dislikes.”

“Sweets and then food of the foulest of scent,” Hubert noticed.

“It seems that way, yes,” Ferdinand supposed, not realizing it till now, but thinking nothing of it. There were plenty of meals, exotic and not, that had a strong odor with a delicious taste.

“I see,” Hubert then said. “I will prepare with this information in mind, thank you Ferdinand.”

Ferdinand beamed at the praise.

“And his favorite tea?”

“Ah, that I have no idea,” Ferdinand regretfully admitted. “Perhaps the Professor could supply you with that information.”

“A surprise that you are ignorant of this,” Hubert frowned once again, “also surprising that Professor Byleth has not convinced the remainder of the former students into using his given name as asked.”

“It’s still a bit weird,” Ferdinand admitted. Hubert was inclined to agree.

“I could send someone to go search for him, if you would like,” Ferdinand suggested. Hubert was still on a strict policy of being unable to wander without a guard.

“Or I could go with you and stretch my legs a bit,” Hubert stated, less of a suggestion.

“Well, yes, I suppose that is possible.”

“Then it’s decided,” Hubert stated, ready to leave this damnable dorm room.

“Let’s go, than,” Ferdinand sighed, following his charge.

*** 

Finding their former professor was a lot harder than they expected. Back during their school days, Byleth always seemed to show up when they needed him. Now, however, they had searched high and low for the elusive man.

“I don’t know where else he could be,” Ferdinand said, wiping the sweat from his brow.

“The only place we haven’t searched is the Abyss,” Hubert said.

“Why would he be down there?” Ferdinand asked.

“Why not?” Hubert replied, suddenly remembering that he had taken Yuri as a lover, according to Dimitri.

“Fair enough,” he conceded with a sigh.

They descended into the Abyss, greeted with the small underground community’s gate keeper.

“Looking for Byleth, I see,” he greeted once they saw him.

“Yes, have you seen him?” Hubert asked pleasantly.

Ferdinand was almost surprised at how cordial the mage could be when he wanted something from a near stranger.

“I have,” the man replied. “I believe he went to go see Master Yuri. You’ll probably find them in the Ashen Wolf classroom. Yuri likes to spend his time there when he is making preparations for the community.”

“I see, thank you,” Hubert replied, “And is the Shadow Library restocked?”

“It is, thank you,” the man replied with a smile, “Thanks to your men supplying us with some more material from topside.”

“It was my pleasure,” Hubert said with a slight bow.

Ferdinand was aghast at the exchange.

“Come now Ferdinand, you will do nothing but catch flies that way,” Hubert said, inwardly smiling at Ferdinand’s open mouth of surprise.

“H-how?” Ferdinand asked as he followed Hubert towards the classroom. “Why?”

“I can hardly believe you,” Hubert mocked, “Do you wish for me to not help my fellow man? I assumed my role as a former noble should be extended towards helping others when and where I can. Is that not what you’re all about?”

“Well yes,” Ferdinand admitted.

“Then we have no problem here,” Hubert quickly cut him off.

“We still have the issue of your spies executing your will while you are under surveillance and guard,” Ferdinand pointed out.

“Inconsequential,” Hubert argued.

“Iconse-Hubert! You’ve been placed under arrest and are to be guarded at all times due to starting this bloody war!”

“Language, Ferdinand. There are children around,” Hubert said, finding the man’s exasperation quite amusing as they walked through the corridors, finally reaching the Ashen Wolf classroom.

As reported, Byleth was there with Yuri, the Ashen Wolves’ leader flushed and beaming at the man before him. “Hubert,” Yuri then said once the two of them caught his eye, “and Ferdinand. To what do we owe this pleasant surprise?” he asked, looking far less thrilled than he had a moment ago, and much less than his words implied once he discovered it was no longer just he and Byleth in the room.

“We are here to ask Byleth some questions,” Hubert replied, looking over to the former professor.

“What do you need to know, Hubert?” the man asked, his voice even and cool.

“I was merely wondering what Dimitri’s favorite tea was,” Hubert asked.

“You came all this way to ask Byleth what the king’s favorite tea is?” Yuri asked in disbelief.

“Yes,” Hubert replied.

“It’s been a long day looking for the Professor,” Ferdinand said with a frown.

“Byleth,” the Professor corrected.

“Yes,” Ferdinand’s cheeks heated up in embarrassment at being corrected, “I will work harder in correcting that little habit,” he assured Byleth.

“I can hardly believe that is the only thing you were searching for,” Yuri said, eyeing Hubert suspiciously.

“The fresh air and movement was also a factor,” he replied as he watched Yuri.

“I’m sure you could have asked any of his childhood friends, say Ingrid or Sylvain, for example? I’d bet even Felix would know what Dimitri’s tea of choice is,” the pale haired man then said.

“It must have slipped my mind to ask,” Hubert replied coyly, knowing Yuri was more than unhappy with their sudden intrusion on him and Byleth’s time alone. The annoyance he and Ferdinand had caused almost was humorous.

“Why do you even need to know?” Yuri then asked, narrowing his eyes at Hubert.

“He’s planning on treating Dimitri to tea,” Ferdinand answered for him.

“Oh, is that so?” Yuri asked with a sly grin, suddenly a lot more interested in the conversation.

“Shut up, Ferdinand,” Hubert said.

Byleth merely watched the scene play out before him, slightly amused at it all. 

“Pray tell, why do you intend on treating our new king to tea?” Yuri asked.

“It’s a simple meeting to discuss political matters,” Hubert responded, growing frustrated.

“If that was the case, why go through such lengths for His Majesty?” Yuri asked with a glint of mischief in his eyes. “Are politics the only thing you care about discussing with him?”

“As if anything else should concern me at the moment,” Hubert replied carefully, not wanting to get Yuri’s hopes up for any reason. He hated the man’s sudden excitement.

“And the king knows you are going to treat him to tea?” Yuri asked.

Instead of getting an answer, Byleth stepped in with a hand placed on both men’s shoulders. “His favorite tea is chamomile,” he told him. “If you have any sweets, I’m sure he would appreciate those, as well. The sweeter, the better.”

Hubert wasn’t sure what to say after that aside from a short thank you before he grabbed Ferdinand by the arm, dragging him away and out of the Abyss.

Upon exiting the Abyss, the two ran into Felix, who looked overly grouchy compared to normal.

“Felix,” Ferdinand called out to the man, getting him to turn.

“What is it?” Felix asked, relaxing a bit upon realizing it was Ferdinand and Hubert.

“You just seem a bit more, erm,” Ferdinand struggled for words.

“You seem upset,” Hubert supplied, looking over to the swordsman.

“You’re one to talk,” Felix growled back, “but if you must know, I’m looking for Sylvain. He was supposed to meet me for lunch, but he never showed.”

“It seems the near entirety of the former class is pairing up,” Ferdinand said.

Felix’s eyes bulged wide before punching the taller man in the stomach, getting an unexpected laugh from Hubert.

“Shut your mouth, Aegir,” Felix hissed, “I don’t want to hear something so disgusting from the man following his homicidal crush around like a pathetic puppy.”

Hubert’s laughter stopped there as he narrowed his eyes at the man. “Perhaps the Margrave came to his senses before dining with someone so hate filled. Courting a man such as you must be a chore in and of itself.”

“Why you,” Felix gritted his teeth, prepared to kill before a sudden voice was heard booming through the air.

“Felix, stop!” Dimitri’s voice shouted. The king stood a bit away from them, looking equally shocked and upset to see two of the three men ready to slit each other’s throats.

Felix refrained himself with a huff, turning to the king. “Move out of the way, Boar,” he said before brushing past Dimitri.

Hubert watched him go before turning his attention to Dimitri.

“Apologies,” Ferdinand said.

“There was a misunderstanding,” Hubert added, not feeling the apology at all.

“I’m sure,” Dimitri said, frowning a bit, “Felix can be quite prickly at times.”

Hubert agreed with a humph before stepping towards Dimitri, leaving Ferdinand behind. “I was actually looking for you,” he said. “Join me for tea and we can discuss further our plans,” Hubert told him, “if your schedule permits,” he added.

Dimitri seemed a bit surprised before replying in kind, “I would be honored.”

Ferdinand frowned a bit at the exchange, feeling like he wasn’t wanted there. “I’ll leave you two,” he said before turning to leave.

“Wait, Ferdinand,” Dimitri called out. “I would be honored to join you for tea, but I am unable to at the moment,” he said regretfully as he turned his attention back to Hubert. “My schedule will be busy until the end of the week. Perhaps then we can catch up to chat,” he said with a smile.

That smile sent a jolt through Hubert and he wasn’t sure why. “Ah, of course, I see,” he replied. “At the end of the week, then,” he agreed. “I will prepare for it.” He felt a slight heat in his face and he was ashamed with himself for it.

“Sounds wonderful,” Dimitri replied, “Now if you will excuse me, I must go,” he said before turning to leave.

Hubert and Ferdinand watched him go. Ferdinand looked at Hubert’s back, knowing then that he never had a second chance.

*** 

A day passed and neither Hubert nor Ferdinand brought up the impending tea time with the king. Ferdinand kept his distance from Hubert as best he could, much to Hubert’s relief. There was a tension in the air when Ferdinand was near and Hubert didn’t like it one bit. He knew that Ferdinand was unhappy and perhaps a bit jealous, but the man should grow up and move on.

Sometime during the evening, when Hubert was allowed out of his room in order to stretch his legs a bit, the two ran into Sylvain. It was more like Sylvain sought them out.

“Ah, Ferdinand!” he called out to them, “Hubert!” He jogged up to them then, looking a bit out of sorts.

“What do you need, Sylvain?” Ferdinand asked, looking a bit concerned.

“I’d just like to apologize on Felix’s behalf,” the man said with a smile.

Hubert saw it to be a more genuine one than the fakes he wears on a daily basis. “Thank you,” he responded, knowing it was going to be the closest anyone, besides a select few, would get to an apology out of the late Rodrigue Fraldarius’ son. He also knew that it would be better to appear grateful than bitter in his current circumstances.

“That is very thoughtful of you, Sylvain,” Ferdinand added. “I hope he is not too upset with us,” he elbowed Hubert, “and we should be apologizing, as well.”

The elbow caught Hubert in the arm and was very much not appreciated. “Fraldarius’ relationships are none of our business.”

A fake smile replaced the genuine one as Sylvain replied. “Thanks guys,” he said before looking over to Hubert. “I hear you asked Dimitri to tea,” the smile turned sly, “need some pointers on wooing?”

Ferdinand sighed.

Hubert narrowed his eyes. “Absolutely not,” he crossed his arms. “We are merely going to discuss political reformation tactics and Empire region status.”

“Sounds dry,” Sylvain said, “but, perhaps I could be of some help while His Majesty is busy.”

“Sylvain?” Ferdinand asked. “What are you doing?”

“What?” the red head asked, that sly smile still plastered across his features. “You think I made it through the war with just a pretty face?”

“Perhaps some help could be given to the Lance of Ruin and the Professor’s insistence on you learning reason,” Ferdinand stated.

“Sylvain is a master tactician, although his outer demeanor says otherwise,” Hubert spoke up, ignoring Ferdinand’s look of surprise. “He and I played chess many times before the war, along with Claude.”

“I had a vague understanding of your war strategy based on how you played,” Sylvain’s lip curled almost cruelly. “I can’t take all the credit for your downfall, though.”

“No,” Hubert stated, “I’m sure your battalion had a hand in defeating the long range archers, though. They were taken out swiftly from a cavalier unit, if I recall correctly.”

Sylvain neither confirmed nor denied that verbally, but Hubert already knew he was the one. “Anyways, how about you wine and dine me, Hubie?” Sylvain asked, using that horrible nickname Dorothea gifted him with that seemed to haunt him even today. “You and I can discuss some strategy and maybe I can even beat you in chess again.”

“As if,” Hubert said with a huff, “besides, I doubt your hot headed lover would appreciate you associating with a man such as myself or anyone else for that matter.”

Sylvain chuckled, “I suppose you are right. Another time, then,” he added, “When Felix is not so angry with me.”

Hubert nodded as Sylvain left them.

“I didn’t realize you had so many friends, Hubert,” Ferdinand said.

“I’d hardly call us friends,” Hubert replied with a look, “more like two minds that found pleasure in each other’s company.”

“You don’t have to make chess sound so romantic,” he frowned. 

“He is a skilled player, along with Claude von Riegan. It was of little surprise that his tactics had only flourished since our school days.”

Ferdinand said nothing further, instead continuing their walk a bit longer before Hubert had to return to his dorm. He realized that maybe he didn’t knew Hubert as well as he thought he had. His plans with Edelgard should have said enough to that, but the fact that Hubert seemed to have gotten on well enough with Sylvain and Claude without Ferdinand’s knowledge showed him just how many secrets his former lover held.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Posting a new chapter way early because I miss my partner and it's making me sad.

“That smell,” Dimitri breathed out upon the pouring of the tea, “How did you know?”

“I merely asked Byleth, seeing as he is the one that had tea with you the most,” Hubert replied. It had been a week since Hubert had asked Dimitri to tea and the man had finally been able to set aside some time in order to partake in the offer.

“And there are many sweets,” he noticed, a small smile on his lips as his eye scanned the treats before them.

“Yes, I discovered your lack of taste is sidestepped by strong odor, but Ferdinand informed me of your perchance of sweets. I decided to go with that,” he told the king. “How long have you experienced ageusia?”

Dimitri hummed, sipping his tea. “I have discovered that I can taste extreme sweetness, thanks to Flayn’s cooking, and sweets have become a bit easier to eat because of it. I have been experiencing a loss of taste since the tragedy of Duscar.”

“A long time, then,” Hubert replied, taking a small cookie before sampling a bite for himself. “I myself am not overly fond of sweets, but I don’t mind as much when paired with coffee.” He grabbed the second pot at their table, pouring the dark brown liquid into his small cup.

“I knew I smelt something other than tea,” Dimitri chuckled. “Ferdinand did mention that you preferred coffee over tea, which is why I was a bit surprised to have heard you when you invited me.”

Hubert found he liked hearing Dimitri’s laugh, even in the form of a chuckle when speaking of something Ferdinand had told him. “Ferdinand’s memory appears to be impeccable as always.”

“How are things between you two?” Dimitri then asked.

In the middle of the monastery gardens, there was little to be desired regarding the sanctity of privacy, but Dimitri assured Hubert that there had been measures placed in order to keep their meeting somewhat private. Not being able to sense much magic in the air, Hubert found that difficult to believe, but he supposed guards around the perimeter was more the king’s speed, seeing as he never used much magic, if any, during the time Hubert had known him.

“No longer as strained as before,” Hubert said honestly. “Lately, he has been giving me my space. He is far less annoying now.”

Dimitri nodded in understanding. “Sylvain mentioned seeing the two of you. Perhaps he is slowly getting over what has ended.”

Hubert agreed with that, hoping that it was the truth. He knew that this wasn’t easy for him or Ferdinand. “The sooner that happens, the happier he will be,” Hubert then said.

“You still care for him?”

Hubert wasn’t quite sure if it was truly a question or more of a statement. The answer was yes, of course he still cared for Ferdinand. He just couldn’t go back to what they once had. That part of their relationship had died in the war, stabbed through with a lance of Ferdinand’s own doing; Gone, if not completely destroyed.

He declined to answer, instead jumping into why he had asked him to this tea party. They had much to discuss and Hubert knew that they would realistically not get to everything.

*** 

This went on for quite a while until they finally discussed all that seemed fit regarding how to get a handle on the remaining Empire outposts and territories still loyal to Her Majesty. If Hubert had to cut things short on occasion in order to leave to the privacy of his dorm, Dimitri did not respond and, thankfully, neither did Ferdinand.

Hubert was foolish to believe that he could speak of her demise so detached. That he could pretend he was no longer mourning her. It still hurt to speak of her, to think of her. He kept her final letter to him with Dimitri’s permission and found himself reading it over and over every night. At one point he had been convinced that she had left a clue somewhere, a sign, that she was merely hiding, having faked her death. But, no. He had seen her body, had seen to her funeral. Lady Edelgard was dead and gone.

The tea parties had not stopped with the conclusion of their planning. They continued on at Dimitri’s insistence, telling Hubert that it was his best excuse to get out of meetings he had no interest in attending. Hubert often called him out on neglecting his title, to which Dimitri would laugh and agree to an extent. He had told Hubert that Byleth had taken charge of the monastery and that he would be taking over a majority of the meetings regarding what to do with the church. Upon asking what Dimitri intended on doing with Seteth and Flayn, he responded that he intended on them deciding. He would not be enforcing any rule on them, as they did not seem to have any knowledge on what Rhea was truly doing or had done.

“Flayn actually works a lot in the kitchen with Dedue,” Dimitri told him. “He is teaching her how to cook, as she really only knows how to make sweets. Overly sweet sweets, that is,” he added with a chuckle.

“And the other?” Hubert asked, a small warmth enveloping him at the sound.

“I think he plans on assisting Byleth with the monastery,” Dimitri answered, “and he keeps trying to convince Byleth to agree to a more active role, although Byleth seems intent on turning the monastery into more of a safe haven than a church. I am not completely against the idea,” he then said, surprising Hubert a bit. “I have discussed the church many times with Byleth and he believes that the church’s role in a new Fódlan should be one of peace, not war. I believe the same. I do not think that the religion should take such an active role in this new world.”

“The Holy Kingdom of Faerghus is no longer so holy,” Hubert stated, a bit amused.

“The Kingdom is merely a former title, I believe that Fódlan is Fódlan, we do not need to divvy the land as we once did. As a united Fódlan, we are all its citizens, are we not?” Dimitri asked.

“I suppose you are correct in that, yes,” Hubert responded.

“As for Seteth’s views, he has agreed to the church taking a back seat in the future. There will be no branches, just Garegg Mach. An orphanage has been set for construction to aid the war orphans that we created,” Dimitri said with regret in his voice. “We did a lot of horrible things for the sake of the peace we bring.”

“A means to an end,” Hubert said.

“Yes, I suppose so.”

Hubert sipped his coffee, enjoying the warmth is spread through his chest. He let his eyes close at the feeling of it. The bitter of the dark liquid explored his tongue, washing through his mouth and spilling down his throat. It had begun to get chillier out. He noticed the change in weather had changed not only Dimitri, but all the former Faerghus citizens. Even Felix seemed a bit more chipper to be around, much to Sylvain’s noticeable pleasure. Everyone else, on the other hand, did not share the same warm attitude towards the cold weather. Hubert was a bit lost in his thoughts, a warmth encasing him suddenly and pulling him out of his head. He opened his eyes to no longer see Dimitri across from him. He looked up to see the man standing above him, no longer wearing his furs. 

“You looked cold,” he said. His blue eye looked down on him softly, a smile on the man’s lips. 

Hubert looked to his shoulders, seeing the fur on him. It was quite warm and it did feel nice. “Thank you,” he said.

Dimitri nodded in return and went to retake his seat. 

Hubert found himself looking down into his cup. Through the darkness, he could see the dark reflection staring back at him. The darkness could not reflect the small smile on his face, although he knew it was there.

*** 

“Hey Ferdinand, Hubert,” Linhardt greeted in the hall with a slow wave. He was yawning as usual.

“Hey,” Ferdinand greeted, glad to see his friend and former classmate after so long. Guarding Hubert had stopped him from seeing anyone, unless Hubert was in the company of Dimitri during their tea parties.

“Linhardt,” Hubert greeted with as much enthusiasm as he could muster, which was very little. After all, Linhardt was the one who took him down during the war, as well as told him of Her Majesty’s passing.

“As charming as ever,” Linhardt said, not looking very hurt by Hubert’s lack of enthusiasm. “How is your magic healing, Hubert?”

“I have not used it,” Hubert stated, as if it were a test to see if he had been attempting an escape of some sort. Aside from that one Warp, that is.

“Well that’s no good,” Linhardt said, grabbing the man by the arm and leading him to a training ground.

“Lin, wait!” Ferdinand called for the crest scholar, running after him.

The training ground held Felix, hacking away at a training dummy, but he turned to them once they arrived. He huffed at their presence, resuming his training as if they were not there.

“Cast fire on that dummy,” Linhardt ordered, pointing at the dummy not being used.

Hubert lifted his hands to cast. A small fire ball shot to the dummy, catching it aflame before Linhardt put it out.

“That was small,” he said, “any particular reason why?”

Hubert frowned. “It seemed too much to exhort to make it bigger,” he stated.

“Is that because it was too difficult or because you are too lazy?” he asked.

A snicker could be heard from where Felix was training.

“My magic feels drained,” Hubert responded, not commenting on the rude and ironic part of Linhardt’s question.

“Well, I suppose that is to be expected,” Linhardt replied. “I’m sure you don’t remember this, you were in between conscious and unconscious during all this, but I made sure to inject you with a blocker of sorts. Your magic will be stunted until further notice.”

Hubert vaguely recalled voices when he thought he was dying. “I see,” he crossed his arms.

“But, your magic is not your only dangerous asset,” Linhardt stated coolly and calmly. “There is a reason you’ve been guarded night and day, obviously.” He yawned. “Well, I’m going to take a nap,” he said and then he left the two of them with Felix, who continued acting as if they were not there at all.

Although he suspected someone did something to him, he found relief in knowing that it was not a permanent thing. His magic was an extension of himself, a part of him that he could control. With the knowledge of this blocker, he felt uneasy.

*** 

Hubert was called to the audience chamber of the church a few days later, where he found the king. To his right was Sylvain, to his left was Felix. Ingrid was standing near the door. She looked unpleased with seeing him once again. Dedue stood by his side, as well. Hubert thought the man perhaps had given up his duty to the king in order to become a cook and a teacher to Flayn. He was proven wrong.

“Try anything and I’ll end you where you stand,” Ingrid warned lowly, her lance at the ready. She obviously held no trust in the man, for which she was allowed that; he had tried to kill her and her friends many times, after all.

“What have you called me for?” Hubert asked, ignoring the blond and her warning.

“I’ve called you to let you know that we will move on to Faerghus soon, more specifically Fhirdiad” he said. “I suggest you begin packing the items you deem to be the most important. We plan to leave at the end of the moon.” That was in nearly two weeks.

“I understand,” he said, still unsure why he needed to be told now instead of during one of their teas.

“I have another thing to tell you,” he said, a bit more regretfully. “Edelgard’s body will not be coming with us. She will stay here for the time being.”

Byleth entered at that moment, Sword of the Creator at his side.

“What is the meaning of this?” Hubert asked. Betrayal swept through his veins and panic surged his heart.

“It is temporary,” Dimitri tried, but Byleth stopped him with the raise of his hand.

The former Professor looked to the panicked Hubert and shushed him gently. “We will get her to her rightful place,” he assured. “There is a situation.” Byleth looked to Dimitri, “The bandits have moved to another town. We need to leave now if we are going to save them.”

“What is happening?” Ferdinand asked, dutifully by Hubert’s side.

_Bandits?_ Hubert had not noticed that the man had taken his trembling hand, steadying him from the panic he felt.

“There was an attack,” Ingrid told them, “and it is interrupting His Highness’ plans regarding our return to Faerghus.”

“Bandits have been attacking towns along the border, towns that had been under the protection of the Empire,” Felix said. “With the Empire at a loss, bandits are targeting them first, presumably in some sort of revenge plot for Edelgard starting this whole war.”

Hubert could only listen to what they were saying. He felt rage fill him. His Lady had sworn to protect the villages of the Empire and now they were under attack. He wished to carve out their hearts and skewer them for his Lady’s honor.

“We need your help identifying some of the bandit leaders,” Dimitri said, looking straight at Hubert. “We believe some of them to be rogue generals and Empire soldiers disguised as bandits, or aiding them at the very least.”

“Word of your capture has gotten out and many believe you to be a traitor,” Byleth told him. “Yuri’s spies have been relaying information from behind the Empire’s remaining lines.”

_Infiltrated, perhaps from the beginning,_ Hubert thought. It seems that they were destined to lose the war. “I’ll do it,” Hubert growled, “on the condition that I get to cut them down.”

Dimitri looked to Byleth before turning his attention back to Hubert. “You may join us in the fight,” a room full of shocked eyes went to Dimitri; Byleth stared calmly back, silently agreeing with the man’s decision. “The only thing I ask is for the leaders to be captured for interrogation.”

Hubert’s hand gripped Ferdinand’s tightly. “Understood,” he said and the bloodlust he felt from the worst of the battles began creeping back inside, like venom that he could not completely rid himself of. He was sure that he would witness the same from the king, just as he had bore witness to during their battles against the Kingdom army. Seeing the man in action, cutting down his foes without a second glance, it was absolutely barbaric. He longed to see it again for the sake of those Her Majesty fought to protect and liberate.

“We should return before the end of the moon. If anything is to change, we shall adjust accordingly,” Dimitri told them. “Now, tell everyone to prepare. We leave at dawn.”

*** 

“Not much of a notice, if you ask me,” Linhardt said, moving to Hubert with a needle. “Dawn does not give you much time to work through the blocker, but I suppose the journey should change that.” He injected Hubert then, watching the man’s face flinch from the initial pain.

“Are you staying here?” Ferdinand asked.

“If only,” the man sighed. “It seems that more than a handful of healers are wanted on this journey.”

“Will it be that hard fought?” Ferdinand asked.

“Who knows,” Linhardt replied. “With Mercedes, Marianne, and I, I doubt there will be a shortage on healers. Yuri and Balthus are not going, instead focusing on the Abyss, so we can’t rely on their magic.”

“I can’t believe the King of Grappling is a healer,” Ferdinand chuckled.

“Better believe it,” Linhardt rolled his eyes, “I had to perform choir practice with the man a few times. He can’t hold a note, but he can grasp the basics.”

“Dorothea and Annette know some faith magic,” Ferdinand pointed out.

“Dorothea and Annette are not joining us on this mission,” Linhardt replied. “They are staying to help Manuela with the infirmary. We should count ourselves lucky that Sylvain is able to provide us with a few healing spells before his faith magic runs dry.”

“I had not realized the man held so many talents,” Ferdinand said with a frown.

“Perhaps you should not look at someone’s face value,” Hubert said absentmindedly, feeling a bit woozy from the injection.

Linhardt chuckled at that. “We all know that it’s not a pretty face that catches Ferdinand’s attention,” he said.

Ferdinand huffed at that.

“Are you saying I’m ugly?” Hubert frowned.

“Not exactly,” Linhardt admitted, “You certainly have an attractive face, it’s just clouded behind the heinous acts you’ve committed.”

“Thank you,” Hubert leaned back, letting himself relax as best he could.

“Could we talk about something else?” Ferdinand asked. “Linhardt, when is Caspar returning?”

“Oh, he has already returned,” the man replied. “He came in last night and has been sleeping since then. He was very tired from the journey.”

The journey in question being returning from a separate part of the former Empire territory, where he had taken control from his father and brother. House Bergliez no longer held any power, apart from Caspar. The brother and father refused to surrender, just as Hubert knew they would. It was a tragedy for Caspar, but it was also an end to the fear he held of his family.

“Your rowdy lover has been far too quiet to have returned,” Hubert stated.

“I assure you he is here,” Linhardt frowned, “but I agree that his new quietness is a bit concerning.”

“Dorothea will look out for him, I’m sure,” Ferdinand said and Linhardt smiled.

“She has already insisted.”

Hubert let his eyes fall closed for a moment, listening to their conversation drown on.

“Constance will be joining us,” Linhardt then said, “Although Hapi has insisted on declining. Apparently she has taken up some of the chores that have been falling to the wayside. Ashe will be assisting her in that, while Bernadetta joins our mission.”

“A reunion of sorts,” Hubert said. He was growing tired from the removal of the blocker.

“I need you to stay awake,” Linhardt told him. “Has she really kept her distance this entire time?”

“She has,” Hubert replied.

“I am surprised,” Linhardt said, causing Hubert to open his eyes.

“Why?” He asked. “What has she said?”

“She has just talked about you nearly nonstop,” Linhardt replied. “Something about how you probably hate all of us and how she misses how things were back in the academy. She asked about a pin on your uniform, but I don’t have the slightest idea what she is referring to,” he finished.

“Ah,” Hubert stuck a hand into his pocket, fishing out a small flower pin. “She gave it to me before Edelgard and I defected. I kept it with me, you can tell her that.”

“That is lovely,” Ferdinand said, moving to get a closer look.

Hubert put it away quickly. “If you want one so badly, go to her for it.”

“As if she would make one for any of us,” Linhardt replied. “You know she probably made it to make you less scary looking.”

Ferdinand huffed. “As if I could look so scary,” he replied.

Perhaps Ferdinand was correct. He couldn’t look particularly scary like Hubert knew he couldn’t, but that did not mean Ferdinand could not strike fear in the hearts of his opponents. On the battle field, when they had crossed paths, he had been seen as a crimson spear, piercing the hearts of his enemies with his lance. His red hair flowing beautifully as it left death in its wake. No, Ferdinand did not look scary, but he killed with skill and determination, creating a fear in Hubert’s men. When Linhardt had come to end him, before knocking him out instead, Hubert felt fear in his heart, believing the one to strike him down would be Ferdinand. He thought to be killed by the one he once held such tender love for, it was in fact a scary thought, if not a tragic end.

“The only thing scary about you is how oblivious and dimwitted you can be,” Hubert said instead.

Ferdinand looked back at him, mouth agape and offended. “No matter,” he decided. “Let’s see who will be joining us...us three, obviously.”

“Marianne, Mercedes, Constance, Felix and Sylvain, Bernadetta, Ingrid, the Professor,” Linhardt said.

“Byleth,” Hubert corrected.

“Byleth,” Linhardt repeated with an eye roll, “Lysithea, Petra, Dedue, Leonie, and I believe Ignatz is stepping in for Lorenz while the man is glossing things over with House Gloucester with Raphael and Hilda accompanying him.”

“Is that everyone?” Ferdinand asked, counting on his finger.

“And Dimitri,” Hubert corrected.

“And Dimitri,” Linhardt added, a yawn following.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really enjoyed writing the dialouge between Linhardt, Ferdinand, and Hubert in this chapter. Also, there is just something so good about the idea of Dimitri dropping his cloak over Hubert to keep the man warm. Dimitri surely has a higher tolerance for the cold than Hubert would. Hubert needs to bundle up!
> 
> Thank you for reading!


	6. Chapter 6

Hubert’s horse was not his steed during the war. The black as night beast he had once ridden was speared through, ending its fight at the battle of Fort Merceus. Hubert witnessed its death moments before he was struck down. The horse he currently rode was not accustomed to him, perhaps not accustomed to his weight or his riding style. He silently wondered if the beast held any experience with magic casters. If the thing grew spooked, he would certainly be left behind once it fled. With Ferdinand likely in the frontlines, he would be all alone. None of the Kingdom allies would come to his aid.

“Don’t worry about ol’ Daisy,” Sylvain said, riding up to Hubert as they marched. The man held a knowing smile as he watched Hubert. “I trained her myself, she doesn’t spook easily and is pretty familiar with magic. Enough that she knows to not run when it’s coming from above her.”

“Is she your former mare?” he asked, looking down at the helm the horse wore, unable to see any of her features.

“You’ve probably seen her, honestly. I’ve used her in a few battles where we encountered each other,” he admitted. “I don’t want to rely on one horse, so I made sure to train a few. Just in case.”

“I see,” Hubert pat the armored neck of the horse.

“Take care of her for me,” Sylvain said with a wink before riding ahead to Felix.

Hubert watched as the two began to speak to each other. Although he couldn’t hear their words, he could see Sylvain’s smile. It was genuine and bright. Felix’s expression was a scowl, but it seemed more forced than his daily. Hubert knew when a man’s face was lying.

At the head of their march was Dimitri, Byleth at his side. He was in the middle, closer to Linhardt and Ignatz. Bernadetta was there, as well, but she had been avoiding him for most of the ride. He told himself that it didn’t matter to him if she approached him or not, but he knew that to be false. Being near the former Black Eagles again, even if they wished not to speak with him, it had an effect on his heart. There were days when he would see Dorothea walking side by side with Petra and he would be brought back to their days in school. He felt he could turn to his side and see Edelgard watching the girls, as well. She was never there when he looked.

He looked up to see Petra and her wyvern flying above them. Leonie’s pegasus flying next to Constance’s. Further ahead, he could see Ingrid on her own. He recalled the time when he was just a child, seeing a herd of pegasus for the first time. He was with his father and they were capturing them for the Vestra stables, wild and unbroken creatures still. He asked his father if mages rode pegasi and he said that they rarely did. Hubert thought it would be amazing to be able to fly while wielding magic. He later discovered his fear of heights and swore off the whole idea. Still, seeing Constance on her winged beast, he realized that it could be done and done effectively. 

“Aren’t you just the definition of cheer,” a voice said before he saw the speaker. It was Linhardt.

Hubert’s neutral frown stayed put.

“Day dreaming before we go off and slaughter some bandits?” he asked, face neutral as well, almost as if he were speaking of the weather. 

“Just thinking,” Hubert replied.

Linhardt hummed in reply. “It’s hard not to when all you’re doing is riding,” he sighed. “So tell me, you’re not thinking of getting back with Ferdinand, are you?”

“Of course not,” he replied, frown growing deeper at the idea.

“It’s for the best,” Linhardt nodded in approval. “He took things pretty hard when we all defected from the Black Eagles. You gotta understand, you were asking us to destroy everything,” Linhardt said.

“And to build anew,” Hubert replied.

“I don’t think I would have left if Caspar hadn’t,” he then admitted, “But, I knew that Edelgard would be destroying the crest system. While I disagree with the system as a whole, I couldn’t give up my research of it.”

“Do you truly believe that we would want that research gone?” Hubert asked.

“Perhaps not, but I knew Edelgard better than you think I do,” he looked at Hubert. “Just because I wasn’t at her side since we were children doesn’t mean I didn’t know her. We were classmates and before that, we were in the same noble circles, unfortunately,” he rolled his eyes at the thought of the noble lives they once led. “She was still my friend, Hubert. We had differing views regarding some things, but she never stopped being my friend.”

“Until she became your enemy,” he finished.

“An enemy on the battle field, two opposing views, two estranged friends,” Linhardt sighed.

“Do you really think that is how it was?” Hubert asked, not accusing, just genuinely curious.

“I do,” Linhardt said. “I was devastated when I heard she had been cut down. She was our enemy, yet I cried when I heard the news. I had been tending to the wounded on the backlines, while Mercedes took over as healer on the frontlines. And her funeral,” he trailed off, shaking his head a bit, “Regardless of what happened, I suppose I just want to say that I would like us to try again,” he looked over to Hubert, “to try and be friends again, I mean,” and he smiled.

“Friends,” Hubert mulled over the word in his head, “I suppose we could try,” he hesitantly admitted, even if it meant he would likely be in renewed acquaintance with Caspar. The man was just so loud, at least, that is how he remembered him. “I suppose I should thank you for healing me when I was captured,” Hubert begrudgingly said, “Even though I longed for death, it seems it was not Her Majesty’s wish.”

“Now Hubert, I’m sure Edelgard would not wish for you to throw your life away,” Linhardt told him. “She cared about you a lot. I bet she would be glad to see you try and mend things with all of us.”

“Quite possibly,” he quietly admitted.

“So, live for her, will you?”

“I will,” Hubert felt so weak in front of Linhardt. It had been so long since he had spoken to the man one-on-one, even if they were surrounded by others. At this moment, it felt like it were only them. Linhardt always managed to take care of Hubert when things went expectedly during their school days, even if the man didn’t want to. Just like when he collapsed. Linhardt even kept his word by never bringing it up again, per Hubert’s request. There were also all the times during their monthly missions where Linhardt made sure Hubert was healed of any injuries that might have befallen him. “Thank you,” he admitted.

Linhardt’s eyes widened, but he just nodded in response. “Any time,” he said.

*** 

They marched through the night, arriving at the village in question before dawn broke. Fire lit up the darkness of night, illuminating the village as the bandits killed and ransacked mercilessly.

“Do not let another civilian fall,” Dimitri’s voice roared.

They all charged into battle, battalions accompanying their generals, individuals leaping into battle. Hubert looked to see Dimitri on his own, horse abandoned in order to get close up and spear through a bandit trying to make off with a crying child. Byleth was not far away from him, cutting through debris in order to free trapped women and children.

To Hubert’s left, Sylvain stood. “Don’t let how he is here change how you think of him,” he said in almost a warning. “He’s not that man anymore.”

“I’ve seen what kind of man he is,” Hubert replied, “I see that he is a leader and wants what is best for his people.”

Sylvain nodded. “I see that you’ve finally witnessed what we all have,” he smiled. “You know, Byleth was willing to kill Edelgard before Dimitri stopped him.” The battle raged on before them. “I think we could learn to trust you not to stab us in the back,” he then said before ridding forward, sending a ball of fire towards a bandit, scorching the man thoroughly.

Hubert rode on, too, using a miasma spell against a bow user that was aimed at Dimitri. In the king’s fury, he had not seen the threat. His head snapped towards Hubert and once again, that look of feral rage covered the king. He was bloodthirsty, looking for any victim that didn’t hold their banner to satisfy his thirst. “I’ll watch your back,” Hubert told him, receiving a short nod in acceptance before throwing himself into the throes of the battle.

Arrows shot from above him and he looked up to see Leonie, taking the bandits out from a distance. Petra’s wyvern swept past her, moving forward to fight up close. The fearsome beast let out a battle cry, snatching up a man and dropping him from a height that most certainly killed him. 

Screaming was heard from behind him. He was too late to catch the axe aimed at his head. The metal never pierced him, though, for a sword sliced the hands from the arms, disarming the man in a literal sense as well, before the sword came through, beheading him. Felix stood beside him, looking disappointed that he had to save Hubert. “You’ve grown weak,” he said before leaving him, shooting a miasma of his own towards an unsuspecting assailant. 

Hubert narrowed his eyes at him before riding closer to the center of the village, slicing through the bandits with his magic, cutting them off from escape, and freeing up scared citizens.

“Vestra,” he heard a woman say, eyes wide and tear stains mixing with the dirt on her face.

He stared back at her, not knowing who she was.

“Is it true?” she asked. “Did you betray her?”

His eyes widened. “Never,” he said before riding off again.

He found Linhardt healing a battalion member of Bernadetta’s. “You made it,” he said with lackluster, although it was clear he was anything but. His eyes were strained and focused on the task at hand, closing the wound of what appeared to be a sword slash.

“H-Hubert!” Bernadetta squeaked. 

He looked at her scared face and couldn’t bear it. He left, searching for Dimitri.

A fallen man lay next to him when he stopped to look once again for the blond hair, flowing freely through the air as the one eyed king threw his lance through his enemies. Looked for the wild blue eye that he knew could turn soft when sipping a chamomile tea. Listened for the sounds of anger that came from the man that could speak so sweetly to him. Hubert searched and searched, seeing not a hair of Dimitri. Daisy whinnied underneath him before rearing up at the sight of two bandits coming for them. 

“All alone, little mage,” one snickered, wielding an axe, while the other held a sword.

He took out the axe wielder swiftly with his fire, but was unable to hit the sword user, as well. The sword sliced through the meat of his arm, causing him to yell out and hiss from the pain. 

He was going to die there if he didn’t do anything.

A winged figure fell. Ingrid took the sword wielder out. “Here,” she tossed him a vulnerary, “Have you seen Dimitri?”

He shook his head no, taking it hesitantly. 

“I’m sure he’s fine. I think the Professor went after him,” she said then and at that moment he considered the possibility that they had not killed all of the skin walkers. She had no reason to care for him, no reason to give him a healing item.

“Why?” he asked.

She looked at the vulnerary in his hand, “Because he trusts you, for some reason.”

Hubert looked at the vulnerary, risking the poison if it were true, drinking it all. He felt the healing effects instantly and his cut had closed.

“You trusted me,” she said, looking a bit surprised.

“You have given me little reason to not, other than your obvious dislike of me,” he said with a huff. Truly, he had perhaps been willing to be poisoned. “If it turned out to be poison, I suppose it would show the Kingdom’s true colors.”

“I don’t like it, but if Dimitri says you’re on our side, then I can’t stop it,” she replied, mounting her pegasus before flying off again.

Hubert didn’t spare the interaction a second thought before he began searching for Dimitri again.

*** 

A cry came from the left. It was Ferdinand. A howl from the right. Dimitri.

Ferdinand was in pain, Dimitri was probably in the midst of battle. He couldn’t hesitate.

Hubert led Daisy to the direction of Ferdinand, hoping he made the correct choice before he found his former lover laying down, a sword stationed over his face, prepared to end him. Hubert’s miasma barely made it in time to kill the man.

Ferdinand wordlessly watched the man perish before Hubert jumped off Daisy and ran to inspect Ferdinand’s wounds.

“I’m fine,” Ferdinand insisted.

“You are most certainly not _fine_ from where I am standing,” he replied, no heat in his voice. His hands trembled and there was no denying he was worried.

“I’ll be okay,” Ferdinand then decided, “You need to go find Dimitri.”

“What is happening?” Hubert asked, “This is no ordinary bandit attack.”

“I’m not sure,” Ferdinand sighed, feeling exhausted. “I think there are some crest users amongst the generals. Dimitri is fighting them now.”

“His freakish strength shall serve him while I attempt to heal you,” Hubert told him, looking over his wounds. None of them were deep, but there were many...so many.

“I’m fine, Hubert,” Ferdinand said once again, looking Hubert in the eye, stopping the man. “Go back him up.”

“F-Ferdinand!” he heard a woman shout.

“It’s Marianne,” Ferdinand told him. “I’ll be fine, Hubert,” he said again.

“Over here,” Hubert shouted to the woman, refusing to leave until he knew Ferdinand would be taken care of. It didn’t take but seconds before the woman came running to them, Ignatz by her side. Hubert recognized her as the shy girl from Golden Deer. 

“We will take care of him,” Ignatz assured, patting Hubert on the shoulder.

Hubert nodded, not wanting to let Ferdinand go, but knowing he must. Dimitri’s howls were growing louder.

“Go get him,” Ferdinand said, finally getting Hubert to let go. 

Hubert nodded, jumping back onto Daisy and riding towards the sounds of Dimitri’s beastlike shouts.

There was a stench that clung to the area, stronger than all the death and blood that was surrounding them. The fire couldn’t’ even burn it away. _Poison_ Hubert realized. It was now so obvious, he could faintly see the toxic fumes from the bodies laying around Dimitri. The man was fighting another spear user, a general. He was a general that Hubert certainly recognized, “von Klaus,” Hubert spat. 

Dimitri and the general’s attention was taken by Hubert for a split second.

“Ah, I see the rumor is true,” von Klaus snickered, parrying another one of Dimitri’s strikes. The king was growing tired, it was obvious, the poison was probably causing some of it. It smelt like some form of dichlorophenoxy, a mutation of it to work stronger against humans, perhaps. There was a lot of it and Hubert was lucky to have created a resistance to most common poisons, including many strains of dichlorophenoxy. He didn’t have forever, though, and Dimitri only had a few more minutes at best.

“What rumor?” Hubert asked, sending a fire ball straight towards von Klaus.

“That you have abandoned the Empire, along with Her Majesty,” von Klaus replied, dodging the fire ball and barely missing the edge of Dimitri’s Areadbhar, the Heroes’ Relic pulsing from the blood it was soaked in.

Hubert did not honor the comment with a reply, instead shooting a fireball towards the man again and again, giving Dimitri a chance at getting a good hit in.

“You really have fallen to the prey of the Beast King of Faerghus,” von Klaus cackled, as if there was a joke in his words somewhere.

“Dimitri is going to finish what Her Majesty started,” Hubert screamed, sending dark spikes through von Klaus’ cackling body. If Dimitri wasn’t already slowed down from the poison, he may have ran into them head on, killing himself in the process.

Dimitri fell to his knees, panting and shaking from exhaustion and poison. He leaned forward, purging his insides.

“Come on, we have to get you away from this poison,” Hubert said, moving to grab the king.

Dimitri grabbed his wrist, painfully squeezing, threatening to snap it in half. “I’ll kill them all,” he growled.

Hubert’s eyes widened and the grip on his wrist began to increase. He screamed, screamed from the pain, screamed for someone to stop Dimitri. Nobody came, nobody could stop the king from destroying them both.

The pain lessened. 

Hubert realized he had closed his eyes. He felt the tears falling down his cheeks as he opened to see Dimitri near collapse, but still conscious.

“Hubert?” he asked in a weak voice, a voice that sounded closer to the Dimitri of his tea parties, the Dimitri that would cover him when he was cold. It was no longer the feral king prowling the battle grounds for a kill.

“Dimitri,” Hubert whispered back.

“I don’t,” he looked over to the vomit he had recently purged, “I don’t feel very good,” he said. 

He was no longer that monster Hubert wished to see, he was the man that Hubert wanted to aid. He was the man Hubert needed to save, to get away from the poison. “Come on, we have to go now,” he told the king.

Dimitri nodded, eye looking like it may close at any moment and never open again.

Hubert had to pull him away, with Dimitri trying his best to move on his own. He was just too exhausted, not even his crest strong enough to get him to safety without Hubert’s help.

When they finally reached a spot where there was no longer any poison, he realized he didn’t have any antitoxin. “Damnit,” he growled.

Dimitri lay on the ground, looking up at the sky wordlessly.

The sun began to rise, the gold of the star bringing forth light upon the destroyed village.

“You saved me,” Hubert heard Dimitri whisper.

“Not yet,” Hubert replied, feeling frustrated and panicked. There was no antitoxin, there were no antidotes, and there was nothing for the king to take to save him. Nothing! Hubert had nothing!

_Except..._

Hubert grabbed Areadbhar and placed the tip in his mouth, maneuvering it to his back molars. He shut his eyes, knowing this would hurt immensely. 

Dimitri looked over to watch him pry out his back tooth, blue eye widened with shock and confusion.

Hubert’s screams were louder than before, blood running down his chin, leaving his mouth in waves.

The extracted tooth was unlike any Dimitri had seen from the dead he mutilated during the war. It held a blue center.

“Antitoxin,” Hubert mumbled weakly, “Bite it,” he then said, putting it into Dimitri’s mouth.

The coppery taste of blood consumed Hubert’s entire being and he felt himself be sick at the side of where he sat. He could hear Daisy’s whinnies from nearby, she was close. Closer than he realized when he saw she was but five feet away from him. He closed his eyes to steady himself, body haven gone numb from the shock of pain and from the poison still in his body, resistance or not.

He felt light, lighter than he had in years, like he was no longer on the ground. Perhaps this is what it was like to fly on a pegasus, high in the air. He looked over, seeing Dimitri, now unconscious, his hair flowing in the wind. Hubert looked down to see the fallen village below him. _Oh,_ he realized. Petra’s wyvern had taken them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really enjoyed writing this chapter and I hope you enjoyed reading it. With two chapters left, we are nearing the end.
> 
> Thank you for reading.


	7. Chapter 7

He awoke in the infirmary, once again.

“Fractured wrist,” he heard Linhardt’s voice say near his ear, “poison effect, blood loss, my my, Hubert.”

Hubert moaned from the pain in his head.

“I’ll add ‘painfully alive’ to your list of ailments,” he replied dryly.

“Is he alive?” he asked weakly, remembering the pain from removing his tooth.

“He is,” Linhardt assured, “Thanks to you. Perhaps you have a future in dental work, Hubert. I took a gander at your molars only to realize most of them appear to be fakes, hollowed out with potions and antitoxins inside.”

“They are insurance,” Hubert said, no longer tasting blood. Now, his mouth was very dry.

“We had your tooth fixed,” Linhardt then told him. “A brand new molar, no potion in sight, though.”

“I am grateful,” Hubert said with a sigh, feeling tired still.

“Rest up, Hubert,” Linhardt said with a rare smile, “You deserve it.”

*** 

The second time he awoke, Byleth was there.

“You are awake,” the man stated, staring at him blankly. He was bandaged around the shoulder, chest mostly exposed. 

“You are injured,” Hubert stated, feeling as drained as he had when he first awoke.

Byleth looked down to the wrappings. “Just a bit,” he admitted.

They sat there in silence, Hubert laying there in his bed with Byleth sitting on the chair next to him. The silence was easy and there wasn’t any tension between the two. 

“You saved him,” Byleth said after a moment.

“I...did,” Hubert replied, remembering Linhardt’s words, that Dimitri was alive.

“Thank you,” Byleth replied, “I was indisposed.”

Hubert nodded, not sure how to respond.

Byleth said nothing further, merely content to sit by the bed while Hubert began drifting back and forth in ad out of consciousness. The mage was still exhausted; drained from the blood loss and weary from the battle. The former professor took his hand, rubbing it with his thumb. It was soothing and felt nice, up until Hubert realized the Professor’s thumb was grazing his exposed skin. He tried to pull it from the man’s grip, but was stopped by the look in Byleth’s eyes; a look that told Hubert that maybe it was the man that needed this just as much as Hubert felt shocked by it.

Hubert looked down to see the man’s handle cradle his scared one, dark and bruised. Black ink marked it like a painting, but with paint that water could never wash away. He saw the burn mark he received when he was ten years old, punishment for casting a fireball that was too small to fit his father’s expectations of him. There was a scar from a knife that sliced through his flesh before he entered the academy. Hubert had feared that it could by lined with poison, an assassination attempt on Her Majesty gone awry, at least on the assassin’s part. Hubert happened to be lucky that the hired man was exceptionally bad at his job. All it cost him was a scar.

The feeling of Byleth’s fingertips feeling his skin, almost like they were petting the hideous appendage that Hubert loathed, it felt almost nice. “You need your rest,” Byleth whispered as Hubert’s eyes began to drift close once again.

“You sound like Linhardt,” Hubert told him, tongue heavy in his mouth.

He heard the man chuckle and a part of him hated to have missed it.

*** 

The third person to visit Hubert was Dimitri because of course it was Dimitri. The man looked down at Hubert with an emotion in his beautifully tragic blue eye that Hubert absolutely hated; sadness. He had seen it too many times is his Lady’s eyes and he did not wish to see it in another person he had grown to care about.

He squeezed his hand, realizing it was still exposed with Byleth no longer holding it. He moved to hide both of them under the blanket he had draped over him.

Dimitri’s eye cut towards the movement like the trained killer he was. 

Hubert just watched him, anticipating his next move. He remembered the inhuman howls Dimitri made as he fought and killed. The growl in his throat, the screams of his victims. During the war, Hubert remembered the sounds haunting the night time; nights when Hubert hadn’t slept in over four days; nights when Hubert had not had a decent meal that wasn’t dry grain and water with the purpose of filling his stomach, of stopping the growling within and the ache that wouldn’t go away.

“You fear me,” Dimitri said, the first thing he had spoken since Hubert opened his eyes.

Hubert returned to the man in the room, no longer dwelling on the past. “Dimitri,” he said.

“I should not be here,” the man suddenly moved to stand, to leave Hubert’s side.

Hubert felt his breath hitch and he reached out, exposing that cruel hand of his, grabbing at Dimitri’s, stopping him.

Dimitri stopped what he was doing, freezing in place.

Hubert’s skin touched Dimitri’s and the man flinched. “Wait,” Hubert called out softly. 

Dimitri hesitated before turning back to Hubert, but he didn’t sit down immediately. “Why do you want this beast to stay?” he asked.

Hubert frowned at that. “If you are a beast, then I am a monster.”

Dimitri said nothing to that, instead choosing to return to his seat. Hubert’s hand removed itself from around the king’s wrist, returning to its spot under the blanket. “You should have let me die,” Dimitri said.

“And allow my last remaining connection to Edelgard fall away?” Hubert asked.

“Is that how you see me?”

Hubert was shocked. Dimitri looked hurt when he said that. “Perhaps,” he admitted, “but, I do not think that is the only way I see you anymore, besides, am I not the same for you?”

Dimitri’s silence was the answer Hubert already knew to be true. Dimitri was no longer the beast on the battle field, but he wasn’t the man who shared tea with Hubert, either. Some form of in between; caught up in the gore of the fight, yet still conscious of Hubert.

“I see you as the man who destroyed Those Who Slither In The Dark, who fought for peace throughout Fódlan, who-“

“Who killed Edelgard,” Dimitri finished.

“Yes,” Hubert admitted, “Who killed Lady Edelgard, along with the beast that inhabited her.”

Dimitri’s eye widened. 

“I have come to accept that which she had become; it was not for the peace of Fódlan, but for the destruction of some of its people. She had been manipulated by them, thinking that she was the one doing the manipulating, for far too long,” Hubert said. “I had seen the nights she would leave to speak with one of them, always alone, always without a word to say for when she returned. I knew something was happening without my knowledge of just what, but I believed in her will and believed that everything she did was for the future. Now, I can see that she was being used just as we believed to be using them.” Hubert reached out once again, this time to take Dimitri’s hand. “I may see you as my connection to her, but I also see you as an ally and maybe even,” his cheeks tinted red against his will, “a friend.”

Dimitri’s hand was limp in Hubert’s, but he slowly encased it with his own large one. “Linhardt said that you can leave the infirmary at any point. You can do whatever you want after that,” he continued, “You can leave.”

“What if I want to stay?” Hubert asked. 

“I would like that,” Dimitri responded quickly.

Hubert chuckled to himself, “I don’t think our dear Professor has enough skills in court to be a worthy advisor, although I do not mind the idea of sharing the role, as long as it is with him,” he told the king, thinking about when Byleth sat at his bedside. 

Dimitri’s lips formed a small smile and the man sitting across from Hubert, snacking on overly sweet pastries and drinking that calming tea, suddenly returned to him. “When you are able to leave the infirmary, I would like to have tea and coffee with you,” Dimitri said.

Hubert merely nodded.

*** 

Ferdinand had come to him after Linhardt had given him some herbs to boil in water and drink as a pain reliever. The man looked healthy, no new battle scars in sight, to Hubert’s surprising satisfaction.

“I’ve been told that I’m no longer required to guard you,” he said once they reached Hubert’s dorm room.

“I suppose that will give you much more time to train,” he smirked. “Perhaps Felix is willing to indulge you. Next time, you won’t need me saving you.”

Ferdinand was a bit flustered from the comment. “I’ll have you know that I train plenty,” he defended.

“Not enough,” Hubert replied, “I can’t have you running off to squash a bandit rebellion, only to have you return a corpse.”

“As if I would be so careless,” Ferdinand argued.

“Shut up, Ferdinand,” Hubert replied, serious as he bore his eyes into Ferdinand’s.

Ferdinand was surprised, realizing that Hubert was no longer joking. “I, yes, I’m sorry, Hubert. I’ll make sure to put more hours into training.”

“Good, now I would like to lie down a little longer before dinner,” Hubert said with a groan. His mouth was still a bit sore and his head hurt.

“Of course,” Ferdinand replied, hesitating a moment before pulling the mage into a hug.

Hubert froze, not able to stop it from the sheer shock of the action.

The hug lasted for maybe two seconds before it was over, Ferdinand leaving with it.

Just like that, Hubert was alone again.

*** 

Hubert slept, slept easier than he expected. Not only that, he awoke alone with no annoying Ferdinand at his door or sitting in his room, waiting for him to wake. He really had been left alone and when he walked himself to the dining hall, he felt like something was missing...when was the last time he had been to the dining hall without Ferdinand or even Edelgard by his side?

“Hey Hubert, over here,” a voice called out.

Hubert sought out the owner of the voice, finding Sylvain waving him over, Felix by his side. The swordsman wore a frown that was in no way hiding how displeased he was by having the mage join them. Across from Felix sat Ingrid, the seat next to her vacant.

“We have a seat right here,” the blonde pointed out, surprising him, as well as Felix it seemed, based on the man’s eyes widening as he looked over to her.

“I thought you were ready to skewer him on Lúin,” Felix replied as Hubert walked over to take the offer.

Ingrid eyed Felix before opening her mouth, “Doesn’t mean I won’t if he turns around and betrays us,” she replied. “Besides, I’ve learned to put my own feelings aside when it comes to allies that come from different nations than I.”

“We’re all friends here,” Sylvain cut in, not liking the direction Ingrid was taking things. He knew she held strong feelings about people from Duscar, including their own Dedue at one point. Having the former Empire be an enemy must have given her similar feelings. “Let’s just be happy that we’re all alive, yeah?”

“Alive,” Felix repeated, looking over to Sylvain before smiling an honest smile, “Yeah.” The two’s relationship seemed to be blossoming, Hubert noticed. Perhaps it would make Felix less aggressive and also get him out of the training grounds. Somehow, he doubted it, though.

“Your dinner,” Dedue suddenly appeared, a plate in his hands, setting it down in front of Hubert. The smell of the two-fish sauté hit his nose and his mouth began to water. He looked over to the man and thanked him before asking how he knew it was Hubert’s favorite.

“His Highness informed me,” Dedue replied before taking his leave.

“Ah, I guess Dimitri’s been taking notes,” Sylvain wiggled his eyebrows at him.

“Shut it,” Felix replied, his constant pissed off appearance returned to his face.

“Since when did Dimitri care so much about Hubert?” Ingrid asked.

“Since he saved his life?” Sylvain asked, but kept his eyes on Hubert, as if he knew something the others didn’t, perhaps even things Hubert did not yet know. “Maybe even before?” he grinned.

“Don’t be disgusting,” Felix frowned.

“Hey,” Sylvain frowned. 

“Even Hubert doesn’t deserve to be paired with the Boar,” he said. “Something so inhuman doesn’t deserve a human companion.”

“He is human,” Hubert replied, gloved hands clenched into fists. “Dimitri is a man that is kind and obviously cares about his friends,” he looked at Felix, “even if said friends care not for him.”

“He didn’t mean it,” Sylvain tried, knowing it could possibly be a lie.

“I believe he did,” Hubert replied, unable to keep his temper in check. “I know what it is like to care about a group of people, expecting none of that in return. Sure, I held their respect, Ferdinand’s affections for a time, but as you see now, half of them do not even speak to me; that does not mean I no longer care for them,” he sighed. It had been the first time he had vocalized it, had admitted the hurt from it. “Bernadetta still finds me terrifying, despite having previously sought me out for her worries. Dorothea hardly speaks to me, Linhardt only cares for me because I was injured. Petra and I only spare glances to each other. Caspar holds no fond feelings for me, surely, I had his entire family turn against him. Ferdinand is too caught up in our old relationship to even realize that I am nothing to him anymore,” he frowned, “and the one I care most about is dead.”

Ingrid looked at him with sad eyes, but he didn’t want her pity, especially from the woman that had skewered so many in his former ranks.

He stabbed his fork into his fish, unable to truly enjoy his favorite meal at this point. The taste felt wrong on his tongue and he could feel their eyes on him. “Am I truly that worthy of your pity that you stop eating your own meals?” he asked.

He heard their forks move.

“For what it’s worth,” Sylvain suddenly said, “I think you’ve been helping Dimitri. During the war, he was in a place that we’ve never seen, a personal hell that nobody could understand, nor do I think anyone would want to.”

Felix adverted his eyes, looking away from his lover and from the man sitting across the table, silently nodding in agreement.

“He’s...not the Dimitri from before,” Ingrid said, “But, he’s been closer now than he ever was during the war.”

Hubert’s fork fell from his hands, falling to his plate. He stood and walked out of the dining hall, his feet moving on their own. He was unable to steer them, unable to stop them. He wasn’t near his dorm, he was heading towards the chapel. He didn’t particularly hate that place, but he did hate what it represented. At that moment, it didn’t matter, because nobody would be there; nobody would be bothering him about Dimitri.

“Hubert?” Dimitri asked upon seeing the man walk into the chapel.

Hubert stopped in his tracks, “Oh course,” he sighed, turning to leave and find a new place to sulk alone.

“Wait, don’t leave,” Dimitri called out, reaching out. His hand was too far from Hubert to catch him, but he reached out anyway.

Despite wanting desperately to flee like the coward he was, Hubert stayed here he was. He told himself it was because his new king requested it, but he also knew that he was lying to himself. “What is it?” he asked.

“I,” Dimitri hesitated, “I suppose I just would like the company,” he said.

“Why not eat in the dining hall like the rest of your comrades?” Hubert asked.

“It doesn’t feel right,” Dimitri admitted. “I’ve been taking my meals here for so long, I don’t feel like I’d be welcomed by the others.”

“Ridiculous,” Hubert replied.

“P-pardon me?” Dimitri’s eye was wide.

“You heard me,” Hubert frowned, “I’m sure that they all are wondering when you will join them again. Is it not odd for the leader to eat away from the rest of the team? Even that damn swordsman, Felix, seems anxious for your return.”

“Felix?” the one eyed king asked.

Hubert nodded in response, wishing to say no more. He wasn’t ready to acknowledge the conversation that was attempted just a few minutes ago by Dimitri’s said comrades. 

The king’s demeanor changed then, kicking at the floor, looking down at his feet. “I suppose that I could consider returning to the dining hall before we leave.”

“And when will that be?” Hubert asked, adverting his eyes. He didn’t want to see the same man he witnessed tear a man in half suddenly get flustered and embarrassed at the mention of some other guy awaiting his return.

“We are still scheduled for the end of the moon,” Dimitri responded. 

“So next week,” Hubert surmised. 

“Yes,” Dimitri responded. “Hubert,” he said, catching the mage’s attention back to him.

“Yes?”

“Are you going to be okay with Ferdinand returning to Aegir?” Dimitri asked suddenly.

“Of course,” Hubert responded honestly, “Why wouldn’t I?”

“I suppose I was really just asking if anything had changed between the two of you,” Dimitri admitted.

“The only thing of significance being that Ferdinand has finally seen that we are no more,” Hubert responded, feeling a bit triumphant about it.

“I see,” Dimitri responded, a slight smile on his lips, a smile Hubert noticed and then proceeded to write off as anything of importance regarding anything referring to him; after all, why would the man with all the power be interested in him? He held no interest in Dimitri other than Dimitri’s connection to Edelgard. There was nothing else for him, only her memory and her wish to follow Dimitri’s intentions and rebuild the fractured Fódlan. He was lying to himself, but anything else felt like cruel hope.

“If he leaves, if he stays, either way it is no concern of mine,” Hubert concluded. 

Dimitri nodded, “I am glad you two have worked things out in a way that makes you happy.”

Hubert wished to say something to disregard his happiness as a necessity, that all that mattered was rebuilding Fódlan in an image that benefitted all, not just a few. To build it in the image that Edelgard had envisioned, but he remembered that it was no longer her image; it was Dimitri’s. “Yes, well I suppose now that that is out of the way, we can focus on how to start up a country again.”

“A new world,” Dimitri smiled, “of peace.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more chapter to go. Before we get to it, I'd just like to thank you all for reading this rare pair, which hasn't officially gotten the clue in this story. This has been fun! 
> 
> For the past month or two, I've really fallen into a slump with little to no motivation to do anything. Hopefully I'll move past it soon and write more often. This pandemic has really hit me (and many others) hard, causing my mental health to suffer, especially when I feel like my job doesn't care about me or the other employees. Retail hell took on a whole new meaning for sure, especially with holiday hours and the dreaded Christmas time that my store is famous for. "What even is social distancing?" she asked in complete sarcasm.
> 
> Once again, thank you for reading!


	8. Chapter 8

Tea with the king continued to be a pleasant affair, taking place every few days or so, at Dimitri’s request. The king had a lot on his plate, slowly introducing Hubert into his role as advisor, much slower than Hubert would like. They tended to speak lightly of their work until Dimitri would ask for a change of conversation in order to actually feel like he was relaxing. Eventually the conversation would turn to Dimitri’s long growing hair, messy and unkempt as usual. Hubert would offer to fix Dimitri’s hair, as he had once fixed Edelgard’s; as he had fixed her hair for her when she was young, as he had on occasion when she became grown. His fingers would twitch at the notion, at the memory, of long brown hair running through his fingers, growing stark white without either of their permission; a reminder of his first failure at keeping her safe.

“If not for yourself,” Hubert then said at his fifth offer that week, “then allow it for my sake. It was something I often enjoyed when I was allowed.” He didn’t have to elaborate.

“Fine,” Dimitri finally caved, “but if I don’t like it, it’s going back to how I have it.”

Hubert smiled, taking another sip of his coffee in victory, a smile on his lips and a fur cloak on his back. “When it becomes too cold for you to be without this heavy thing, please let me know and I’ll start bringing my own coat.”

“It will not become that cold while we remain here,” Dimitri assured with a smile, “Faerghus winters at their best are much harsher than anything this far south,” he replied. “Besides, perhaps I enjoy the sight of my cloak keeping you warm.” The color of Dimitri’s cheeks were pink from the weather, but seemed to grow down to his neck.

Hubert would blame the cold on his color change adamantly if ever asked. “Well, there will come a day when we are no longer at the monastery, when we are in Faerghus, and you will need it back.” 

“Until that day, it will continue to keep you warm while you and I enjoy tea and coffee together,” Dimitri stated firmly.

Hubert said nothing in response, only giving a small nod at the king. 

They continued their time in the frosted garden, the first signs of the growing winter making itself known with the soft whites of a light snowfall, already fallen, already melting from the rays of the sun above. Dimitri’s voice, so soft and gentle as he spoke to Hubert about Faerghus, their customs, clothes that Hubert would need, and how layers were essential. There was discussion on food, Dimitri’s favorites and Hubert’s insistence that there would be no issue as he held little preference for such things as favoritism towards food. Coffee, Hubert’s favorite drink, was promised to be a common companion to many of the region, especially during the colder moons. Dimitri continued to speak about things that Hubert found to be mundane, yet held on to every word as it left the king’s lips. The sound of Dimitri’s voice was soothing in the cold air, warming Hubert’s ears, along with the man’s cloak. It was nice to see the man speak to animatedly about something so simple, a smile on his face and excitement in his voice. It wasn’t the same as hearing Edelgard speak with joy, but it was still just as enjoyable, something that Hubert found quite surprising. 

Without a word, Hubert stood. The pots had long grown cold, Hubert’s cup empty, as Dimitri continued to talk to Hubert about any and all things that he wished to share about his home.

“Hubert?” Dimitri asked, watching the man move closer, looking much larger than he actually was with the large animal pelt that covered his back, draped over his shoulders. 

“Your hair,” Hubert said, picking up a ribbon that was discarded on the table, once tying a bag of cookie together. 

“Right now?” Dimitri asked, watching Hubert’s gloved hands remove any crumbs that might have been attached to it still.

“Right now,” Hubert confirmed, stepping behind Dimitri’s chair. His hands reached up, moving through the blond hair, stopping at the feeling of the eye patch. “May I?” Hubert asked, a bit hesitant to continue.

Dimitri’s hands moved up, removing the cloth wordlessly, silently giving Hubert permission to continue.

Hubert could not see the look on Dimitri’s face, calm, eyes closed, as he let Hubert do as he wished. The gloved fingers continued to brush through the mess of blond, pulling it away from the beautiful blue eye that lay beneath the closed lid, the other eye damaged far too much for sight to ever be returned. He felt the strands through the fabric, curious as it how they felt against his skin. Pulling gently at the hair, he tied it up, getting it out of Dimitri’s face for the most part. “There,” he said, “the best I can do without a brush.” Hubert walked around to see how it looked in the front. 

“Just a moment,” Dimitri told him gently, eye still closed, the other had his hand over it, hiding any damage that may be there.  
“Of course,” Hubert understood, turning around, his back to Dimitri.

It only took a moment till Dimitri gave him the okay to turn back around, eye patch in place.

“How does it look?” Dimitri asked.

Hubert looked at the king, hair pulled back, his bangs unable to stay in the ribbon from their length, falling in front of Dimitri’s face, but not nearly as bad as before. “It looks good,” Hubert admitted, a small pang settling in his chest at the sight. It wasn’t pain, but something else, something unidentifiable, yet familiar. He had felt something like this before, he was sure of it.

“I,” Dimitri hesitated, fingers twitching as his hands rested on the table, “I would like to see it.”

Hubert looked over the table, seeing the sterling silver tray that was used to carry Dimitri’s tea. It was simple with very little personality, so very unlike any tea set Ferdinand owned. He watched at the king removed all its contents from it, picking it up to use it as a mirror. “Well?” he asked upon Dimitri’s silence at his reflection.

“I like it,” he said.

Hubert felt that unknown feeling again, stronger this time.

“I like you, too,” Dimitri then admitted softly. “Feelings, I mean,” he continued. “I just,” he turned away, “I just had to tell you that.”

Hubert acknowledges this information silently, realizing the feeling in his chest is what he felt when he realized that he may be in love with Ferdinand.

*** 

“He what?” Ferdinand asked, lounging across Hubert’s bed as Hubert wrote at his desk, writing up a proposal of governing for the new Fódlan. How to manage lands, remaining nobility, and squash any rebellious forces remaining.

“He said he has feelings for me,” he sighed, “I’m not even sure why I’m telling you this.” Truth be told, he felt eager to get what had happened of his chest and Ferdinand was the obvious choice, seeing as the man was the only one to bother to come see him, even unprompted. When asked how he and Dimitri’s tea parties had been going, it had just come out.

“That’s, wow,” Ferdinand said, staring up at Hubert’s ceiling. “So, you’re moving on?” he asked.

“I’m not doing anything,” Hubert replied, still trying to hide how anxious the whole conversation was making him. Of course Ferdinand would be bothered by it. He didn’t know why he even had felt the need to say anything about it now.

“I’m happy for you,” the other then said, “Even though it kinda stings, I want you to be happy.”

“I’m not looking for a relationship, nor am I intent on romancing the new King of Faerghus and ruler of united Fódlan,” Hubert replied.

“What do you plan on doing about his confession?”

“Nothing,” Hubert told him truthfully.

“Hubert, the man just admitted his undying love to you!”

“Ferdinand!” Hubert turned to look at the dramatic man on his bed. “He did nothing of the sort, so please,” he sighed loudly, “He admitted that he has feelings for me, not that they went beyond mere infatuation.” 

Ferdinand rolled his eyes. “Sure, Hubert,” he smiled at his former lover. 

Hubert turned away, no longer wanting to see the sad eyes that stared back at him while Ferdinand wore the smile that wasn’t completely real.

*** 

Hubert enjoyed pulling Dimitri’s hair back, closing his eyes at the request of the king, humming a tune that he had heard in one of Dorothea’s performances in the courtyard with the children. He had not even realized he had been doing it until Dimitri asked him if he enjoyed the opera.

“I suppose I enjoy it as anyone else would,” he admitted, not wanting to reveal just how much of the songs he had memorized from accompanying Edelgard over the years, going off to see some smaller productions alone when he was given the time. He had seen Manuela perform when he was a young boy and had witnessed Dorothea’s performances more than once before they had all gone to the academy together.

“You hum them beautifully,” Dimitri then said, causing Hubert’s fingers to still, eyes opening in surprise. The look of Dimitri’s scar through the mirror in front of them did not faze him as much as the revelation that his humming had not only been in his head.

Dimitri quickly hid his eye with his hand, shielding it from Hubert’s sight.

“My apologies,” Hubert said, closing his eyes as soon as he registered what had happened, what he had seen. He heard a giggle then, but he kept his eyes closed, hands still in Dimitri’s hair.

“I believe we have both accidentally revealed parts of ourselves to each other unintentionally,” Dimitri said. “Besides, you did me the honor of trusting me with your hands, trusting you with my eye is the least I can do.”

Hubert’s eyes were still closed, but he felt the hair in his hands pull from him. He knew Dimitri was standing before him now, he could practically feel him there. Large hands cradled his face, gently, like they were unsure.

“Open your eyes, Hubert,” Dimitri’s gentle voice said.

Hubert hesitated, unsure if he should.

“It’s okay,” the voice said, a bit of a smile heard in it.

Slowly, Hubert opened. The first thing he saw was that beautiful blue before him. There was blond hair still obscuring Dimitri’s face. The king was in need of a haircut and would get one if Hubert had anything to do with it. What he didn’t see, but certainly felt, was one of Dimitri’s hands leave his face, moving to push back the blond hair obscuring his left eye. The scar there was not very large, but the eyeball was damaged more than he had originally thought. The beautiful blue of Dimitri’s good eye was unrecognizable through the grey that clouded the iris.

“It’s hideous,” Dimitri said, pulling Hubert’s attention away from the eye, smile no longer gracing his lips, “That is why I hide it.”

Hubert wasn’t sure what to say in response. 

“I made sure it stayed clean, avoiding looking at myself as much as I could,” Dimitri continued. “I was truly turning into the monster that had always been. In battle I lose myself, no longer the human Dimitri, turning into the boar with a lance in his hands, hatred in his heart. This eye, it is a constant reminder of what this body shares in it.”

“Dimitri,” Hubert said, stopping the king’s words.

Dimitri turned and sat back in the chair. “I apologize, please finish if you may,” he said, eyes closed once more.

Hubert looked into the mirror before him and opened his mouth. “It is not as hideous as you may think it to be,” he told him. “I was not so much shocked by that as I was that my humming was no longer just in my head,” he admitted, a bit embarrassed with himself.

Dimitri’s one good eye opened. “What?”

“Battle wounds are not foreign to me, as you might already suspect. I must admit, I have given my fair share of injuries to blind an opponent. It is a reality of what has passed,” he finished, hands returning to pulling back Dimitri’s hair, a brush in one hand to untangle bits of hair. 

Dimitri did not say anything in return, just watched as Hubert’s hands worked their way through his hair, finally using a hair tie to tie it up and out of his eyes. 

“Better,” Hubert said, leaning over to grab Dimitri’s discarded eye patch before he put it in its correct position, tying it as well.

“Much,” Dimitri added in agreement.

Hubert hesitated once again before removing one of his gloves, placing the scarred and blackened hand on Dimitri’s shoulder, still not brave enough to touch the blond hair that felt so good through the gloves.

“Hubert,” Dimitri’s eye widened upon seeing the hand.

“This is unsightly and it was done entirely by my own doing,” Hubert told him. 

A large hand covered his own, warm and rough, yet gentle as always when touching Hubert.

“I have always enjoyed fixing Edelgard’s hair,” he said suddenly, “and even Ferdinand’s when he and I were together, back before it had grown so long. Now, I find this to be very enjoyable, running my fingers through your hair and tying it from your face.”

“What was it like?” Dimitri asked.

“What was what like?” 

“You and Ferdinand,” Dimitri elaborated, “What was it like to be with him?”

“Frustrating,” Hubert admitted, “We still could never agree on anything and our difference in opinions were the driving force of our separation.”

“But, you loved him?” 

“I did,” Hubert admitted, “I do, but not like I did before.” Hubert let the warmth of Dimitri’s hand ground him as he closed his eyes, trying to fight back the images of what once was from coming back full force. He had moved on, was moving on. “I had never experienced the feeling of wanting love from another. I did not need Edelgard to love me as I loved her, I just needed to be able to love her. With Ferdinand, I wanted his love in return and it was nothing I have ever experienced before. When he turned away from us, I,” he shook his head, opening his eyes and looking into Dimitri’s through the mirror. “I believed that he wanted the same thing as Edelgard and I. Apparently, I was wrong.”

“Do you still hold it against him?” Dimitri asked.

“I do not,” Hubert admitted, “After seeing what he left us for, perhaps I am grateful he did. He saw a side that I did not, that Edelgard did not, and it was the side that won. He is alive and that brings me great relief,” he said. “Ferdinand did not die as I often believed he would. Before we executed the plan, Edelgard and I knew that not everyone would realistically make it through. He is alive, though.”

“Perhaps you will work things out with him,” Dimitri then said.

“No, we are through. As he had put it, _I am moving on,”_ Hubert said, recalling the words Ferdinand had used.

“I see,” Dimitri couldn’t hide the smile as his hand around Hubert’s grew a bit tighter. 

“I remember what you said at our last tea,” Hubert then said, acknowledging the elephant in the room.

“Ah,” Dimitri removed his hand from Hubert’s, looking embarrassed and ashamed.

“I must admit that the statement was a bit shocking, but mostly because it clarified some of my own feelings,” Hubert admitted.

“What do you mean?” Dimitri asked, looking a little more than hopeful. 

“I don’t think your feelings are unrequited,” Hubert admitted, cheeks reddening, “not exactly, anyway.”

“Come to Faerghus with me,” Dimitri suddenly said. 

“I thought I didn’t really have a choice,” Hubert replied, perplexed. “Advisor, but under watchful eyes.”

“You do,” Dimitri assured, “I already told you that and I actually wanted to talk to you more about it. What will you do, where will you go, Hubert?”

“I have no purpose, no destiny, and no destination in mind,” he admitted, “although, I would prefer it to be by your side.”

“I mentioned a position as my advisor and I meant it,” he brought up, “perhaps that could be expanded upon?” He looked eager, excited.

“I wish to take things one step at a time,” Hubert admitted. “I will help you rebuild this country, be it as an advisor or whatever else you wish.”

“I wish for you to be by my side, as well,” Dimitri admitted.

“It won’t look good,” Hubert tells him. “I am a traitor, an Empire scum. I killed and ordered hundreds if not thousands of your allies and troops to be slaughtered. It won’t look good to have a man like me beside the new king.”

“I never cared much for how others saw me, just the people I care about,” Dimitri told him. “After the war, it didn’t matter all that much. I know you feel much of the same.”

“Do you still love Byleth?” Hubert suddenly asked.  
“I do,” Dimitri responded, “just as you still love Ferdinand.”

“Could you love me?” He asked.

“I could, I can, and I may already,” Dimitri responded, staring at Hubert through the mirror.

Hubert couldn’t spot even a hint of a lie in his features.

*** 

Ferdinand’s bags were packed and his carriage was ready to move onwards to Aegir. Hubert had gone to see him off, much to Ferdinand’s apparent appreciation.

“Where will you go?” he asked Hubert before he climbed upon his horse, his men already saddled up and prepared to take the journey back to their lands.

“To Faerghus,” Hubert told him.

Ferdinand smiled, already anticipating that answer. “So he gave you a choice or was it never an option?”

“He gave me a choice,” Hubert snickered lightly, cheeks red from the cold.

“And you chose to stay with him,” Ferdinand’s eyes softened.

“He will need all the help he can get to put this country together,” Hubert replied, crossing his arms.

“His cloak is a bit too big on you,” Ferdinand chuckled.

Hubert’s cheeks grew redder at that, but said nothing about the comment to say otherwise. “We are taking things slow,” he admitted, pulling at the cloak, as if to make sure it was still there.

“I’ll make sure to write you,” Ferdinand told him.

“I’ll make sure to read your letters,” Hubert replied, his voice was a little softer.

“Make sure to respond, as well,” he smiled.

Hubert just rolled his eyes. “We survived a war, don’t let yourself get caught off guard on the roads,” he changed the subject.

“Of course,” Ferdinand assured, having already mourned the loss of his first love. Now, he only wished the best for his friend as they ventured into the waters of a new relationship. “I’m happy for you, Hubert.”

“Thank you, Ferdinand,” Hubert replied with a genuine smile. He awkwardly pulled the cavalier into a hug before pushing him away just as fast, not even giving Ferdinand a chance to respond. “Just get there in one piece.”

“I will, so you better make sure to come with Dimitri when he checks in on the lands,” Ferdinand said.

“I’ll see what I can do,” Hubert responded.

Ferdinand nodded, mounting his horse before ridding forward, leaving Hubert behind.

*** 

_Three years later_

*** 

Dimitri pressed a kiss to the sleeping man’s cheek, caressing the other one with his thumb as the mage slowly opened his eyes upon being awoken.

“Dimitri?” Hubert asked in a murmur, still half asleep.

“I must go to an early meeting,” he told his lover, “I just wanted to say good bye before I left,” he told the other.

“Let me get up, I should be going as well,” Hubert tried.

“You passed out from exhaustion just a day ago,” Dimitri reminded, “as if I would allow that. I need you to rest.”

Hubert frowned, but conceded, nuzzling closer into the furs that Dimitri wore as a cloak. It was warm and smelt familiar and safe.

“I must go now, my beloved,” Dimitri told him. “Go back to sleep.” 

Hubert moaned in protest, but couldn’t fight back the exhaustion that took him.

Dimitri caressed his lover and advisor’s cheek one last time before he left their shared room, off to have a regulatory meeting with the Aegir head of house. Ferdinand would probably be disappointed to see Hubert not attending, but it was something the man would just have to deal with. Dimitri would be a bit disappointed to not have his beloved by his side, as well, but he needed Hubert to rest. No wonder Edelgard had given their armies such trouble during the war. Hubert was practically an insomniac that ran off sleepless nights and high doses of coffee, if let be. Genius as he was, even he was unable to fight off the exhaustion that overtook any human that put themselves through such tireless work. Dimitri made a mental note to have Dedue accompany him into town later that evening in order to pick up his beloved a gift to lift the man’s spirits, knowing full well that Hubert was hating being put on house arrest until he was deemed healthy. He would also have Mercedes go check on him while he was busy.

Dimitri put a hand through his hair, realizing that it was not put up. He kept a hair tie on him nearly at all times for when Hubert insisted on putting up his hair. This would be the first time he put it up for himself. He thought of how Hubert’s hands felt in his hair, hoping that it looked alright when he was done with it.

“Oh dear,” he heard a voice down the hall. It was Ashe. “Let me help, Dimitri,” he insisted.

Dimitri nodded wordlessly, loosening his hair and handing over the tie, standing still for Ashe to assist him.

“I used to tie my siblings hair,” he said with a cheery voice, “and Dedue allows me to braid his on occasion,” he added with what Dimitri could only imagine was a red face.

“With Hubert out of commission, I had not thought of how to tie it myself,” Dimitri admitted. “I am a bit embarrassed to say that I cannot do it as well as he can.”

Ashe chuckled, finishing and looking at the front of Dimitri to make sure all was in place. “It’s not as good as his, but it is far more presentable,” he told the king. “Oh! I m-mean, yours was good,” he quickly tried.

“I’m sure my attempt was pitiful,” Dimitri chuckled, waving off Ashe’s recovery.

Ashe returned the chuckle, following Dimitri to the meeting place. “How long do you think he will be on bed rest?”

“As long as we can keep him,” Dimitri replied, knowing his lover would try to get out of it and back to work as soon as possible.

“Your anniversary is coming up, right?” Ashe suddenly asked.

“Two years,” Dimitri smiled, thinking back to how Hubert had not wanted their relationship to progress past mutual acknowledgment before they had set up a moderately functioning government, trade routes, and systematic abolishment of the old ways of thinking that have plagued a majority of Faerghus and Fódlan regarding the crests system. There were many sleepless nights for the two during those early days. Dimitri couldn’t deny that he may have been working extra hard in order to quicken things at the prospect of finally being able to move forward with their relationship. “It sure has been a lot of work in a short amount of time,” he realized. He did not expect Hubert to keep to his word on it, thinking the man would cave in to he and Dimitri’s desires and mutual attraction. “I love him,” he admitted.

“I know,” Ashe said with a smile, “and it is obvious that he loves you just as much.”

Dimitri’s smile was wide, following him all the way to the meeting place. Ferdinand von Aegir had, of course, been disappointed to see his friend would not be making it and then worried when he heard why. He had promised to send shipments of coffee from former Imperial farms as soon as possible. 

After the meeting, Dimitri and Dedue ventured into town, finding a nice coffee shop that sold bags of both whole and ground beans from different origins. 

“I’m sure he will like anything you get him,” Dedue told his king, knowing by now that all of the options were ones that Hubert had in the palace kitchen storage for his personal use. He was not completely on board with getting the insomniac man more caffeinated items when he was trying to rest more often, though.

“I want it to be perfect,” Dimitri insisted, sniffing some beans for the third time before finally deciding upon them. 

Dedue didn’t even bother hiding his amusement at his king’s actions, finding it very much like him at the same time. As one of Dimitri’s oldest companions, he knew that His Highness wanted Hubert to love the gift.

On their way back to the castle, a jewelry shop front caught Dimitri’s eye. “Another time,” he said to himself before continuing back, thinking of his own family ring located in the Blaiddyd vault. He wanted to be back to his beloved as soon as possible. What the future held for them could wait for tomorrow because Dimitri knew that Hubert needed him now, just as Dimitri needed him in return.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's it, that's the end. Thank you all so much for sticking with my horrible uploading schedule. I have some other plans for this fandom, although the pairings vary. Hopefully I can move past this writing funk and finish up my current projects before starting anything new.
> 
> Also, I just adore soft affection and love including it in fics, as sparce as it may be.

**Author's Note:**

> First chapter is here. I will try posting somewhat regularly, but my job doesn't understand that I have a life outside of it. Like, what is a home? That place you go to sleep at before coming back to your job? Never heard of it. I also have another fic I've been putting on the back burner that I need to finish up...my bad. Instead I wrote this and a one shot.
> 
> I love Three Houses so much! I have already finished Crimson Flower, Azure Moon, and Silver Snow. Currently in Pre-War Verdant Wind (White Clouds). 
> 
> Thank you for reading.


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